We first came upon Lara’s work through our Bk friend, and were immediately drawn to her unique approach to documenting through her perpetual journals, deep love of nature, and enduring curiosity about the world. Lara’s work beautifully merges the practice of science, art, and quiet wonder. We are so grateful to share a conversation with her about the origins of her path, and how slowing down with nature continues to shape both her work and her way of life. - Eunice
BK: Lara, we’re so grateful to spend this time with you. To begin, could you share a bit about yourself and your background before we move into your work and creative journey?
Lara: Thank you for the opportunity to share my story! I grew up near the Chesapeake Bay and always loved being outside exploring the marshes as a kid. I have lived most of my life in Virginia and now live in Central Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains with my family. One of my favorite pastimes is to hike along the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. I have always been searching for a way to combine science and art and my career as a botanical artist has perfectly melded those two disciplines together.
BK: We understand your early path took a few unexpected turns from an initial goal of pre-med, to architecture, and ultimately to becoming a botanical artist. Can you walk us through that journey and what drew you toward each shift along the way?
Lara: Along the entire path, I was always drawn to plants and the natural world. At each step, I constantly observed and sketched plants and came to realize that a connection to plants was what made me feel alive. When I was at Virginia Tech for graduate school in plant ecology, I learned botany and field skills and had hoped to become a field botanist. However, after graduation I found a job illustrating plants for the Flora of Virginia, a botanical reference book. It was a dream job that solidified my art and science career. From then on, I started to work on detailed botanical watercolors and teach botanical art to college students and older adults. I also started my own perpetual journal and I had no idea that it would become the practice and joy that it is today.
BK: Your deep love of nature is evident in the care you bring out in even the smallest details in your work. Have you always felt a strong connection to the natural world, or was there a particular moment or experience that sparked this passion?
Lara: When I was a teenager, I had the great experience of hiking up Mount Washington in New Hampshire. At the top, we learned about the rare and fragile alpine plant community. A particular small plant called the dwarf mountain cinquefoil (Potentilla robbinsiana) was a highlight of the hike and I was inspired by learning about its uniqueness and delicate nature. From then on, I was really interested in learning more about the native plant communities and tapping into those small overlooked moments in nature.
BK: We first learned about your perpetual journals through one of our previous interviewees and were amazed to discover that you’ve been creating them for over 20 years! Wow! How did this unique approach to documenting and observing nature emerge?
Lara: After graduating from graduate school, I met a couple who wanted to know more about the plants they saw on the walks around their home, and they hired me to work on a specialized journal project. I proposed visiting their central Virginia property once a week for a whole year, documenting the plants I found. For a few hours each week, I drew my plant observations across the pages of a large blank journal, dedicating a single spread for each week.
It was a wonderful project and I was determined to create a journal like that for myself this time, but knew this required a plan. I considered my options: Some artists carry a blank journal everywhere they go, adding daily observations in sequential order. Others create detailed and elaborate studies and color drawings in field journals that they use as a reference to create botanical watercolor paintings in their studio. The only journal practice I had successfully maintained was while traveling, carrying a zigzag or an accordion journal to keep my notes and drawings. But that only lasted the length of the trip.
But I needed something different. After my year of journaling for others, I knew I wanted the gradual pace of a steady practice. It had to be approachable and doable. Most importantly, I needed this journal to be a living, active document that I’d flip through, year after year, consulting and adding to its pages. It was at this time, the perpetual journal was created!
In the perpetual journal, I labeled each spread with the dates of every week of the year, starting with the first week of January until the journal was completely labeled. Then I set a goal of adding a single drawing or observation to each week with no pressure to fill an entire two-page spread. When I opened my journal, I’d navigate to the current date and add an observation. After a year passed, I returned to the start of the journal and added in the next year’s observations to the spread from the previous year. Over time, the spreads became layered with multiple observations from consecutive years.
BK: After decades of close observation, what still surprises you about plants, or a specific plant species?
Lara: What surprises me most about plants over the years is that I continually learn new things about what I am drawing. Over the years, I have refined my observation skills and am curious about so much more than when I first started drawing. Most recently, I learned and drew oak galls that I found along the venation of the oak leaf and learned the identity of a mystery weed with intricate seed capsules that was of St. John’s wort. There is always something new to see and learn, if you just slow down and take the time to truly observe!
BK: Our Bk community loves learning about the analogue tools and systems others use to pull inspiration from. Do you have a personal practice or favorite tools you rely on in your daily life?
Lara: Of course, I love my handmade perpetual journal (etsy shop: wondercabin), a variety of pens (Sakura micron sepia size 005 are my favorite), waterbrushes, and lovely paint sets, many of them with handmade paints from small women owned businesses. I try to keep my supplies simple and easy to find. At a minimum, it should be easy to grab your micron pen and journal to get outside to draw!
BK: Through Lara’s Sketchbook Club, you beautifully invite others to connect with nature and art, especially with your reminder that “you do not need to be an artist, just curious and open to wonder.” For those who feel drawn to nature journaling but may feel intimidated or unsure where to begin, what practical and encouraging advice would you offer?
Lara: When someone is intimidated to start, I always encourage them to start with a small piece of specimen, whether it is a small leaf, bud, nut, or berry. I also encourage those who are new to journaling to include text and descriptions about what they are drawing. From that point on, they can slowly expand their drawing and add more elements such as the flower, the stem, or maybe the entire plant. After that, they can consider adding shading and maybe even some color.
A drawing can be sketchy, rough, and embody the curious exploration of the plant. Lightly sketching with the edge of the pen can be very helpful when getting started so if mistakes are made early on, they are not noticeable. I encourage everyone to use a pen in their journals, rather than pencil, to keep your journal clean and to help you progress in your artistic skills.
I also give permission for people to make mistakes in their perpetual journals. The perpetual journal is a place to expand your artistic skills and get to know the plant, not to create a perfect botanical masterpiece!
BK: When life feels challenging, how has spending time with nature supported you, and what lessons has it quietly offered along the way?
Lara: It is hard to put into words how a walk in the woods or slow observation with a specimen from nature can feel healing and restorative to me. Being in the woods, especially in the mountains, always inspires me and refreshes me. I feel a special connection and energy from the plants around me and I even call out their names in my head when I am excited to see them. Being in nature teaches me to slow down and be grateful for those moments of wonder and awe. The poem, Instructions for Living a Life, from the late Mary Oliver, embodies how I experience and am inspired by nature. “Pay attention, be astonished, tell about it”.
BK: Which of your projects feels closest to your heart, and what makes it resonate so deeply?
Lara: The creation and maintaining of my perpetual journal has been the most important project that resonates deeply with me. From the beginning of my perpetual journal journey, I had always wanted to create a regular simple guilt-free practice of drawing and observing nature. Unlike other journals, this practice is gradual and completely doable in today’s busy world. The rewards are great for small increments of time spent slowing down and observing nature. This practice is so important to me that I am happy to say that my book, A Perpetual Journal Practice, Build a Connection with Nature through Art will be out June 23rd, 2026!
BK: What do you hope your work leaves behind in those who experience it?
Lara: I really hope that my work makes people pause and be inspired to head outside and make their own discoveries. I feel as though I am a nature conduit for people, finding the wonders of nature and bringing them to their attention. I want people to feel a sense of awe and realize what an amazing world is all around us if we just step away from the screens and go outside.
Photography by: Sarah Cramer Shields
❖ Where to find Lara:
Website: laracallgastiner.com
instagram: @laragastinger
Patreon: laragastiner
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