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Ar t Restoration Business Cleans Up Precious Pieces B Y D A V I D A R M S T R O N G W hen Joanna and Dean Chapman closed their popular Carmel ar t gallery in December, it marked the end of 28 years downtown. But the Chapmans barely skipped a beat.The couple promptly built a new home studio and rebooted their core art- restoration business from there. "It's been a change, but we're good self- star ters,'' Dean says. He adds that many clients—ar t galleries, experienced and begin- ning ar t collectors—have followed them to their home, a spacious, ranch-style house in mid-Carmel Valley. Chapman customers also drop-off and pick-up oil paintings, water colors and prints in need of TLC at Tony's Frame Shop, downtown. The Chapmans photograph dir ty or dam- aged ar tworks, study them under revealing black light, then go to work. Their ar tful tech- niques include using an air-tight cabinet to kill living spores and careful cleaning to remove amateur "improvements" of lipstick or crayon. Recently, they employed delicate brushwork to refresh a signed Picasso poster with matching red paint. Of course, some projects are tougher than others. "An oil portrait of a lady came in with a hole right between her eyes,'' Dean recalls. "That's where the client's dog put a paw through it in the car.'' For more infomation or an appointment with Chapman Art Restoration, call 831/626-1766 or go to www.chapmanartrestoration.com. SHORTCUTS ART Dean and Joanna Chapman recently shuttered their Carmel art gallery after 28 years. They have continued their art-restoration business from their home studio. 62 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 8 Photo: Kelli Uldall