Studio Visit

Within days of moving into their home in 1989, Gail and Randy had workmen downstairs. They knocked down an interior wall to create a space 23’ long and, variously, 12’ and 15’ feet wide. At the same time, they cut away the exterior north wall of the house and added a 5’ deep glass-roofed sunroom. This light and spacious room is Gail’s studio, with Randy’s workspace tucked into the southwest quadrant. Some years later, concerned about the health hazards of their calling, they had an industrial strength exhaust fan and cork flooring installed.

Two long worktables along the west wall hold Gail’s 3 monotype palettes (one of which goes on a portable table when she’s printing, thereby making room for her to work), her painting palette, tubes of paint and other supplies, brushes, brayers and other tools. Along the east wall another table provides flat, temporary storage space, and a bookcase houses art books and photo albums of Gail’s work. Her easel, under a bank of halogen lights, divides the room much as the original wall once did.

Along the west wall of the inner part of the studio is the flat file cabinet, 4’ wide and 3’ deep, which holds paper, new and used. The top doubles as Randy’s worktable. Here he cuts foam board, shrink wraps the monotypes, and makes boxes for shipping; and here, too, Gail signs her canvases. To the left is the drying rack, with 50 shelves capable of holding 100 blotters or monotypes. On the east side of this part of the room is a closet where they keep monotype inks, unopened paint tubes, other supplies, art magazines and books. The blotters lean against the south wall, held up by the flat weights.

The studio is actually the center of a three-room complex that occupies almost half of the downstairs; the other half is basically storage space for artwork and supplies which occasionally moonlights as guest bedroom, bathroom, closet and hallway. Adjoining the studio to the east is the print room, dominated by the 1,200 pound etching press Gail uses for her monotypes. Because the furnace is also here, this room is a good place to dry her paintings; and because it has a long, unbroken wall, this room also serves as photographic studio.

The room adjoining the studio to the south is the small studio. Here Gail sits (usually at night) at a large steel table working on the monotypes after they have dried. Here, too, they name each piece. The closer they get to a show, the more time Gail spends in the small studio.