Inspired by a rebellious spirit

The accomplished and widely exhibited artist had won the $25,000 Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship and was visiting France and Spain as part of her cultural research and development.

"I was looking at the Dutch still-life paintings, and the flowers were dark and romantic and free and it was just like this wild, rebellious beauty .. and it really inspired me," she said.

Raised on the land on the outskirts of Tamworth, Ms Gearin had always admired the bush landscape, nature and flora.

But until then, floristry was not on her radar.

"After I saw the paintings I came back home and started experimenting with flowers and realised it was something I could pursue."

Fast-forward a few more years and Ms Gearin is in her creative element at Desert Born Flowers, her hole-in-the-wall shop at the Islington end of Beaumont Street (next door to Hide + Seeker and a stone's throw from Suspension Espresso).

Desert Born Flowers specialises in fresh floral arrangements that feature rare, Australian-grown and seasonal blooms that arrive in a morning courier run direct from growers and wholesalers at Sydney markets.

Splendid spring botanicals in store now include anemones, arum lilies, midnight hellebore (winter rose), extra large pink and red Waratahs, red and orange striped parrot tulips, black cone flower, cherry blossom, rannaculus, poppies, acacia, willow and jasmine.

"The style of flowers I am doing are rebellious and sophisticated, a bit darker, a bit more masculine, but beautiful and decadent," Ms Gearin said.

"I buy only locally-grown flowers, no imports, and I do my best to find the most unusual, hard-to-find flowers, so I pay a premium."

She specialises in weddings and events and also builds commercial installations.

"Big hanging installations are my favourite," she said.

"Traditional florists use flowers to the desired shape of their arrangements, taming them I guess.

"I prefer to let the flowers fall naturally, as they do in nature."

Petals aside, the retail oasis is whimsically decorated with plants that spill from vases and pots placed on the floor and many a surface.

Nestled in dainty yet sturdy macrame pot holders, they also hang from the ceiling.

Ms Gearin also has a fancy for cactuses and she sources large, and in many cases tall, varieties from "out west" in NSW.

Locally-made jewellery and products from Anise Botanical Skincare range are also a part of the retail mix.

Anchoring the lushness is a massive bronze, nickel and brass-plated cash register that weighs 250 kilograms and is more or less still in working order despite being about 150 years old. The shop also has eftpos.

Ms Gearin, who studied fine arts at both TAFE and the University of Newcastle, says she has been an artist "forever".

She has held many solo exhibitions in regional galleries, featured in "some important exhibitions and international collections" and won scholarships including the Marten Bequest.

She describes her work as "expressive, large oils, just weird human animals and very strange narratives, weird dreamlike landscapes".

Running her fledgling business and raising two young boys with partner Tom Kearney, a sculptor and installation artist currently studying at UNSW Art & Design in Sydney, Ms Gearin hasn't painted as much as she would like to of late.

"But I plan on having workshops in the shop that incorporate floral styling and art, like arranging and painting flowers similar to the 16th century Dutch still life paintings," she said.

As a courier drops a bundle of blooms on her counter, she notes being an artist has been invaluable in her new pursuit.

"When you are making an arrangement you are looking at the weight of it, I don't want something that is perfectly symmetrical, I want it to be interesting," she said.

"Because I have a good eye for colour, texture and composition, I think I have a good head start in [arranging] flowers and it seems natural to me.

"I can't think of a better career."