• Calligrapher

In 1967, the life of Mark Lurz took a new direction.He left his secure home and workplace in Switzerland for the unknown city of Toronto. Canada was supposed to be a two year stint to learn English, experience a new culture and sharpen skills in his professional trade.

However, two reasons kept Mark in his new homeland: A Canadian girl, Donna, and the uncanny luck of immediately being offered a job in his trade.

Mark had served a four year apprenticeship with the gravure printing firm, Birkhäuser of Basel. As a colour retoucher apprentice, he had acquired the artistic skills to work with the brush in minute detail on negative or positive separation films. This was the ticket for his 31-year-career in a gravure packaging house in Mississauga, Ontario.

Learning his trade also required attending the Kunstgewerbeschule of Basel (Arts & Craft School of Basel). In addition to classes in colour theory, photography and related artistic skills, he took his first lessons in calligraphy. This skill was never to lose its grip in Mark’s life. He was hooked on writing with the broad edged pen.

In Toronto, Mark found calligraphy classes taught by a German writing master and before long, he was teaching evening classes as well.

Awareness of the handwritten scripts grew in the 1970s and with like-minded enthusiasts, Mark helped found the Calligraphic Arts Guild of Toronto. With the emergence of the computer, the interests in handwriting skills faded from school programs. Too few students signed up for night classes and only in the facilities of Neilson Park Creative Centre is Mark offering classes on a regular bases.

After taking an early retirement from his retouching life, our calligrapher can now devote all his time to writing. In his studio in Bolton, he designs diplomas, certificates, corporate and personal logos, family trees, coats of arms, wedding invitations, addressed stationary and creative cards for all festive occasions. Mark is one of the few Canadian calligraphers who has mastered most historic scripts of Western Civilization and he can add an innovative look to contemporary letter shapes.

When not writing, Mark spends time at the family cottage. He is an avid windsurfer and loves to cross-country ski in winter. He also continues his interest in entomology and his quest to find all longhorn beetles of Ontario.

For inquiries on calligraphy, please contact Mark at marklurz@sympatico.ca