Crisis to canvas: The coffee-coloured comeback of Chris Relitz

For 25 years, Saskatoon’s Chris Relitz dedicated his life to helping others as a registered nurse, spending most of that time in high-pressure environments like intensive care units and psychiatry wards.

But today he’s known for something completely different: painting with coffee.

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A caregiver’s calling

For 25 years, Chris Relitz dedicated his life to helping others as a registered nurse, spending most of that time in high-pressure environments like intensive care units and psychiatry wards. (Submitted)

Though he was always an “artsy kid,” Relitz said he originally chose nursing as a career and found deep fulfillment in caring for people in crisis.

“I took a lot of pride and enjoyment in my work. Met a lot of wonderful people,” he said.

But a violent workplace assault in 2018 changed everything.

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Trauma and a turning point

He said a psychiatric patient attacked him without warning, leaving him unconscious with broken facial bones and enduring trauma.

“He got on top of me and just started hitting, kept on punching… I had four surgeries on my face and over 20 appointments with the dentist to get some teeth back in my mouth. I had therapy, lots of therapy,” he recounted.

Despite intensive rehabilitation, the physical and mental toll – including chronic migraines, memory issues, and PTSD – made it impossible to return to his old life.

A psychiatric patient attacked Chris Relitz without warning, leaving him unconscious with broken facial bones and enduring trauma. (Submitted)

After attempting a brief return to the ICU during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Relitz said he suffered a stroke that only deepened his struggles.

“Holy smokes, I’m retired. Now what am I going to do?” he said he thought at the time. “(I’m) 50 years old. I don’t want to be retired.”

The gift that sparked it all

Then came an unexpected Christmas gift in 2022: a Van Gogh paint-by-number kit from his wife.

“I’m doing this paint-by-number and I’m feeling pretty good. I’m kind of happy doing this,” Relits said with a smile.

That spark of joy led him to explore coffee as a painting medium after a friend mentioned it to him. With no formal training, he began boiling down his wife’s famously strong coffee into a thick, molasses-like goo.

“That’s my primary painting medium,” he said. “Nobody taught me how to do it. I didn’t look it up on the YouTube or Google – I just started doing it.”

Despite still experiencing daily migraines and vision issues, painting has become a therapeutic outlet and spiritual experience for Saskatoon artist Chris Relitz. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

From kitchen experiments to gallery walls

The first painting Relitz completed was an image of a cabin on his father’s farm. Encouraged by the result, he went on to paint grain elevators, vintage cars, wildlife and pet portraits – which are now his most common commission.

“My art is getting out there. I’m quite happy,” said Relitz, who now ships artwork to clients around the world, including Europe and Africa.

Beyond technical skill, it’s the emotional resonance of Relitz’s work that sets it apart. “I don’t know if it saved my life, but it sure improved it. It sure gave me my life back,” Relitz said. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

One of his most cherished moments came when a large painting of Jesus he completed was sent to a church in Kenya.

Beyond technical skill, it’s the emotional resonance of Relitz’s work that sets it apart.

“I don’t know if it saved my life, but it sure improved it,” he said. “It sure gave me my life back.”

Encouraged by the result of his initial experiences, Chris Relitz went on to paint grain elevators, vintage cars, wildlife, and pet portraits with coffee—now his most common commission. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

Coffee, commissions and community

Today, you can find his art on display at the Black Spruce Gallery in Waskesiu and at events like the Wild Oat Fine Art Show and the Aurora Art Show in Prince Albert.

Despite still experiencing migraines and vision issues, he said painting has become both a therapeutic outlet and spiritual experience.

“With my eyes the way they are… large paintings work really good for me,” he said.

He now teaches coffee painting classes at the Warman Arts Centre, and shares his journey openly on social media.