The French Broad River has long been a favorite subject for artist Martin Pasco, but a new exhibition at the Asheville Gallery of Art narrows that focus even further, following the river from its headwaters at Courthouse Falls to Hot Springs near the Tennessee border. Martin Pasco: The French Broad River will be on display at the gallery through Monday, August 31, with an opening reception on Friday, August 7, from 5–8 p.m.
Since moving to Barnardsville seven years ago, Pasco has completed more than 80 paintings featuring the river.
“Other than the landscapes around my house in Barnardsville, the French Broad River is what I have painted the most,” says Pasco. “What I discovered was that, much like that other guy who painted all those water lilies, it’s pretty difficult to exhaust the possibilities of a subject, especially when water is involved.”
After initially painting stretches near Asheville and Marshall, he ventured both upstream to the headwaters in Transylvania County and north to Hot Springs, discovering distinct landscapes along the way…