STORY BEHIND THE ART OF LARA CALL GASTINGER

18th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at The Horticultural Society of New York

Collections

Abelmoschus, Platanus, Rhexia, Physalis, Hibiscus, Ipomoea, Clematis, Scabiosa, Vitus, Rosa, Hemerocallis, Mimosa, Iris, Smilax, Allium, Aquilegia

I am a big fan of the photographer Robert Llewellyn and have admired his work on trees, flower and most recently seeds. During the winter, I visited his studio to peruse the collection of seeds that he was photographing and I came away with this inspiring collection to paint.

I have had some background in architecture and design and have always been amazed by the stunning architecture of seeds and seed pods. I hope that people notice their exquisite diversity and beauty, usually unseen.

This is a monochromatic painting in sepia paint. It includes numerous seed pods from plants that are arranged across the paper to show contrasting details and structures. It was challenging composing and placing the pieces so that they would all work together next to one another.

I enjoy painting just in sepia since it removes the distraction of color and focuses attention directly on the plant seed structures. This work is typical of my aesthetic, using sepia and bringing awareness to the smaller details of nature that sometimes are overlooked. 

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Read more about this artist's work: Weird, Wild and Wonderful