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Rebecca Pearl and her husband, James Zeigler, say they are opposites in many ways. She studied at Maryland Institute College of Art while he studied chemistry at Mount St. Mary's. She was a flower child during the Vietnam War while he was in the military. She uses the right, more creative side of her brain. He uses the left, more analytical side.

But now, Rebecca and James, of Rocky Ridge, use their differing traits to create beautiful things, working together in their new studio in Emmitsburg, which will have its grand opening Friday.

She creates the art, and he frames it.

"Jay, this firehouse piece looks great," Pearl says on a recent weekday, observing the frame work on a print of her Vigilant Hose Fire Company commemorative painting. "Thank you, my dear," Zeigler responds cheerfully.

In addition to that piece, which she created for the fire company's 125th anniversary, Pearl's studio is filled with images of Frederick County. A painting of the Emmitsburg town square, circa 1886, hangs on one wall, while the Frederick city skyline can be seen on another. Images of local churches, such as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and colleges, such as Mount St. Mary's, are scattered around the shop.

"I really like these small communities because ... buildings have a lot of meaning to people," Pearl said. Her eyes became slightly unfocused as she thought of a good example, finally saying that a church in a town with a lot of family history might be where someone's grandparents were married or have another similar sentiment.

"You're honoring the past and honoring the souls of the past for the people who are here now," she said of her paintings that feature local sites.

One of Pearl's strongest current inspirations is Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, founder of the Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg and the first American-born saint.

"She was very special," she said. "She was a remarkable woman in her time."

The first painting she did of Seton was commissioned by the school. She later personally presented the piece, which was framed by her husband, to Pope John Paul II in Vatican City. Pearl's most recent portrait of Seton incorporates images of some of her life struggles, including what she said was a four-day walk from Baltimore to Emmitsburg to establish the school.

Pearl, 60, also draws inspiration from one of Seton's favorite sayings: "All of this and heaven, too."

She said the quote often pops into her head when she's observing Frederick County landmarks or riding her horse. Animals, especially horses, are another inspiration for Pearl. She creates portraits of pets for customers, but oftentimes she will paint scenes featuring horses — especially her retired U.S. Park Police horse, Gilbert, for pleasure.

Pearl uses her art to benefit causes in area communities. At the grand opening, prints of the Mother Seton portrait, the Vigilant Hose commemorative piece and a never-before-seen painting will be sold. A portion of the proceeds will be given to the Mother Seton School, the fire company and the food bank, respectively.

"We just really like doing that," Zeigler said. "We do it because it's the right thing to do."

"It's an interesting life," he said of his place in the business. He got into framing after running into Pearl more than 30 years after they knew each other as classmates at Frederick High School. She was trying to enroll her daughter at Linganore High, where Zeigler was vice principal. They started dating within a year and he started getting into framing after seeing the shoddy frames around her beautiful art, he said.

"Her art has always been amazing, but the framing I thought was atrocious and I said that," he said. "Turns out she was the framer. In spite of that, we've been married for eight years. But because of that I got into framing," he said.

While Pearl was never trained in framing, her graphic artist father was the one who got her hooked on art. When she started drawing in his studio at age 3, "he encouraged me," she said. Although she dropped out of MICA, she has taken several art workshops and taught herself a lot about pastels and oil painting, she said. The skills she's learned and cultivated have led her to become fairly renowned in the area. One of her watercolors was chosen for the City of Frederick's 2006 holiday poster and Radcliffe Realty Group in Frederick has used her pieces in their customer calendars for the last few years, she said. Local businesses and community members often commission her work, as well.

Zeigler said, among other things, he enjoys taking his wife's raw work and turning it "into a masterpiece" for their customers. He also enjoys complimenting the colors and textures in Pearl's pieces with the colors and textures of a frame, he said, which echoes the way he feels about his relationship with the artist.

"We compliment each other literally and figuratively and I think therein lies a part of the joy," he said.

Sharing a workplace with his wife and helping to complete her artistic packages aren't the only reasons he loves his job. Zeigler said he also likes coming across interesting stories in the things he frames. For example, he has framed a letter the first governor of Maryland wrote to his son, handled a personal invitation from Queen Elizabeth to lunch and worked on pieces by an artist who never thought she'd paint again after sustaining an injury in an accident, he said.

He does miss the school system sometimes, but now it's Pearl who works with children, he said. She teaches classes in her studio, and sometimes travels to homes to instruct.

Zeigler also said he's always been interested in making art, "but if I get into it, who's going to frame?" he asked, chuckling.

E-mail Courtney Pomeroy at cpomeroy@gazette.net.

A catered celebration for the Rebecca Pearl Studio in Emmitsburg, at 24 W. Main St., is set for 6 to 9 p.m., Friday. Call 301-447-1911 or e-mail pearlgallery@aol.com for more information on the studio.