For her upcoming exhibition, Scenic Route: Unstoppable Beauty, Frances Ashforth reflects on a lifelong fascination with landscapes and the memories they hold. Drawing inspiration from decades spent exploring wild spaces, she creates paintings, drawings and monotypes that distill the feeling of being immersed in nature rather than documenting a specific place.
In this conversation with Hemmings Gallery, Ashforth discusses the childhood adventures that shaped her way of seeing, her enduring connection to the Wood River Valley and why slowing down has never felt more important.
Hemmings Gallery: The title of this exhibition, Scenic Route: Unstoppable Beauty, evokes both movement and wonder. What inspired it?
Frances Ashforth: I’ve always been drawn to the scenic route—the back roads, the slower path, the unexpected detour. Growing up, my parents would often say, “Let’s get lost today!” That simple invitation shaped the way I experience the world.
We traveled with a stack of well-worn paper maps, looking for dotted lines, unpaved roads and places we hadn’t seen before. Those adventures taught me that beauty often reveals itself when you’re willing to slow down and wander. That spirit has stayed with me throughout my life and is at the heart of this exhibition.
Hemmings Gallery: Travel and landscape seem deeply connected to your work. How did those early experiences influence you as an artist?
Frances Ashforth: My childhood was filled with camping trips—from the White Mountains of New Hampshire to Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy, the Everglades and, eventually, a cross-country trip to the American West. Those experiences planted a lifelong curiosity about landscapes and how they shape us.
Even today, I still love studying paper maps, topographic drawings and geology books, looking for hints of the history and cultures associated with a particular area.
Hemmings Gallery: The landscapes in your work aren’t always literal depictions of specific places. How do they develop?
Frances Ashforth: Every piece, whether it’s a drawing, painting or print, begins with an actual memory of being somewhere. It could come from a hike, a bike ride, time on the river or simply driving through an open landscape.
But once I’m in the studio, those memories begin to overlap. Horizon lines shift, colors change and other places I’ve experienced gradually find their way into the work.
Hemmings Gallery: You often speak about memory. What role does it play in your creative process?
Frances Ashforth: Memory softens and transforms what we see. I’m interested in that space where vivid moments gradually become layered and blurred over time.
Light, weather, changing seasons, geology and even the feeling of moving through a place all become intertwined. My paintings reflect those accumulated experiences. They’re really landscapes of memory.
Hemmings Gallery: Much of your recent work is inspired by Idaho. What continues to draw you back to these places?
Frances Ashforth: The Wood River Valley, the Snake River Plain and the Salmon River have become constant sources of inspiration. There’s an openness here that’s difficult to describe—a sense of scale, changing light and geological history that continually surprises me.
The more time I spend in these landscapes, the more they stay with me.
Hemmings Gallery: What questions came up for you while you were working on this exhibition?
Frances Ashforth: I’m interested in how we see ourselves within a landscape. How quickly do we move through it? What do we notice or overlook? And perhaps most importantly, how can we develop such a deep sense of place that we’re willing to protect it?
I think the landscapes we love shape who we are, and with that love comes a responsibility to care for them.
Hemmings Gallery: What do you hope viewers carry with them after experiencing Scenic Route: Unstoppable Beauty?
Frances Ashforth: Our world moves at an extreme pace, and my study of land, water and sky helps me find balance on a daily basis.
My hope is that my work will help us remember to slow down and take in all that nature has to offer—especially its vast, unstoppable beauty. I’m grateful that the outdoor spaces I’ve experienced continue to haunt me in the very best way.
Exhibition Details
Frances Ashforth
Scenic Route: Unstoppable Beauty
Opening Night
Friday, September 4, 2026
5:00–7:30 p.m.
Artist Talk
Saturday, September 5, 2026
4:00–5:00 p.m.
Hemmings Gallery
340 Walnut Avenue
Ketchum, Idaho
To request a preview list of available works, email info@hemmingsgallery.com.