Lara Call Gastinger is a botanical artist and illustrator in Central Virginia. She was the chief illustrator for the Flora of Virginia Project and a two time gold medalist at the Royal Horticultural Society Botanical Art Shows in London (2007, 2018). She is renowned for teaching how to create and maintain a perpetual journal.

The subjects of her art come from the natural world and her art reveals detailed evidence of change, decay, and processes that occur in nature. She finds great inspiration in a carrot that has gone to flower, a broken seed pod, twisted roots, or insect damage to a leaf. She strives to make a plant portrait in such a way that it reveals its character and uniqueness. Her focus is on the small details in nature, down to the small venations in leaves which hopefully inspires others to look a bit deeper and pause a bit longer.

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Upcoming Events

Feb 16th/Mar 16th/Apr 20/May18

NEW - Sketchbook Gather. Free gathering of those who love nature, drawing, and connecting with others. Details here.

May 18th, Botanical Art Worldwide

Celebrate with botanical artists all around the world, Abundant Futures art opening at the Foundry Art Center in St. Louis.

March 19 - 22nd, 2025

ASBA Spring Symposium online, three days of botanical art content and demos

June 7-14th, 2025

Week long retreat and teaching at Clos Mirabel, Pau, France.

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