Charles Pasche was born with no right arm and only a useless stump where his left arm should have been. Like many such "congenital amputees" (cause unknown), he learned to do an amazing variety of everyday tasks with his toes. It seemed impossible that he could ever become expert at what he most wanted to do—paint. But when Pasche was in his 20s, an Italian artist visiting his home in Geneva patiently taught him to hold a brush between his agile first and second toes, gave him aid in painting techniques.
Last week Charles Pasche, 41, father of two and fully selfsupporting, displayed his paintings (mostly still lifes) and his methods at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, N.J. His appearance was part of an exhibit by Europe's Guild of Mouth-and Foot-Painting Artists to show how far rehabilitation of the handicapped can go.
Alongside Pasche sat Corry Riet, 31, of Zaandam, The Netherlands, who was paralyzed by polio at the age of five. When it became clear that she would never regain the use of her arms, Corry Riet learned to hold a brush with her teeth, took lessons from a landscapist. She makes a comfortable income from her paintings, calendars and greeting cards.
At the West Orange Institute, Pasche was astonished at the efficiency of artificial arms perfected by famed Surgeon Henry H. Kessler. But having achieved such expertness with his feet, he decided to carry on without arms.