How were you first inspired to do what you do?

The smashing cryo-frozen flowers thing was something my dad, a GP, would occasionally do to entertain us when we were kids. We’d finish school and wander up to the surgery to hang about until it was time to go home. He’d pull out the big Dewar of liquid nitrogen they kept for burning off warts and skin cancers, portion out a little Styrofoam cup and then dip whatever was flowering outside in the garden into it. I’d forgotten all about it until a few years ago when I was flicking through the pages of a Kinfolk magagazine. There was an image of a rose that someone had sliced up with a very sharp knife. The pieces of flower stirred my childhood memory, and the rest was just working out how to get my hands on enough liquid nitrogen!

How did you come up with the process behind your work?

The process is pretty simple, essentially I work with an enlarged version of the styrofoam cup to allow for larger blooms to be fully submerged in the liquid nitrogen. Once the flowers are frozen I have very little control beyond how hard I whack the stems. Each and every time the result is different; the petals are so thin that they defrost and turn to mush so quickly which doesn't leave much room for styling after the shards have landed. I’m usually quite a control freak so I really love the way it forces me to let go and appreciate the randomness.

You predominantly work with flowers. Where did your fascination for the natural world come from?

I honestly think it’s innate in everyone; I see it in my kids whenever they get outside. Whether it stays beyond childhood or not depends on how much it is nurtured. I remember collecting and pressing flowers with my mum, dad reading us pages from Australian native plant and animal identification books at bed time, and collecting weed posies with my grandmother on bushwalks. I loved biology in high school and plant anatomy in particular. I loved learning all the different parts and seeing how each plant developed in different ways to go about making more plants. I think maybe that’s part of the reason I like smashing them so much. You get to see their insides!

Do you have a favourite flower to work with?

I love the epic-ness of magnolias but more recently hellebores have turned my eye. Things that flower in winter keep me happy while I wait impatiently for spring.

What type of environment do you like to work in, and how do your works come to life?

I prefer to photograph in natural light. It’s pretty dark inside the church we live in, so I usually end up outside on slightly overcast days when there’s not much wind. I like to focus on the shapes and textures of the distressed flowers and scattered petals, so I use plain backgrounds, usually pieces of card or fabric that I can shake off between flowers. Once the photos are taken there’s a final bit of magic in the editing process.

Where are you finding ideas for your work these days?

Because my work is so driven by the shapes and the textures of the flowers I use, I like to keep an eye on local florists and growers. They’re great for championing really unusual and interesting flowers that no-one has ever heard of, or reminding me when old favourites are in season.

Can you explain the idea behind what you created for MIMCO?

I was really inspired by the ideas behind this MIMCO’s new season collection, and the idea of mashing up art with science is really a perfect fit for what I already do. For MIMCO I envisioned a different perspective from my previous work, taking a more macro look at the result of the freezing and smashing process. In the images I created I explored the scientific side of the duality by documenting the ragged shapes and cracked edges that are created after each experimental smash, while also capturing the super-cooled mist that streams off the frozen forms. I’ve then brought the captured images back to the artistic side of the duality by taking lighting and tonal cues from Dutch masters still life paintings, editing to multiply the depth in the petals’ textures and layers.

MIMCO is a brand that loves celebrating strong and creative women. Who are the women that have inspired, or continue to inspire you, in your life/work?

Do you have a million years? There are so many amazing women out there! And now that I can connect with anyone and everyone via the phone in my pocket I find that my list of inspirers multiplies weekly. My current short list includes Ashley Bailey, Megan Morton, Belinda Evans, Petrina Turner, Karina Sharpe, Ellie Beck, Jacquie Fink and Mariana Garcia-Katz. All these women are such amazing humans with so much drive and passion but also so willing to share with and encourage others.

What's your favourite place to see art?

Instagram! I follow so many artists and creatives and I love that I’m always up to date with the latest things they’re working on. Also, the convenience is unparalleled, especially since going to a gallery or opening would involve dragging my three small children along with me! Of course there are some things that are definitely better to see in real life, but until the smalls are a little bigger I’m content to enjoy in the virtual.

What international art destination do you most want to visit?

I am desperate to go to Japan! I have been obsessed with Japanese gardening, tea ceremony and ceramics for a while and have recently started collecting vintage Kimono. And the cherry blossoms! There is so much about Japanese culture that captures my imagination I can’t help thinking a visit would be incredibly inspiring.