Protea Magnifica — The Story Behind the Collection

Some paintings come from a plan. This one came from a party.

In August 2019 I attended an engagement party at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. The floral arrangements that night were extraordinary — lavish table centrepieces in deep burgundy, crimson and rich purple, lit entirely by candlelight. Peonies, orchids, roses, anemones. The kind of flowers that look like they belong in a painting.

I photographed everything. I took home the bouquets I was given as a guest. And then I went to my studio and started painting.

A Painted Garden — The Body of Work

What followed was one of the most sustained creative periods of my career.

I called the body of work A Painted Garden. It became eight distinct designs — Protea Magnifica, Sugarbush, In Full Bloom, Duchess Proteas, Ditsy Blossoms, Honeyglow Proteas, Midnight Blooms and A Painted Garden itself. Each one painted in mixed media — gouache, acrylics, Copic markers and pen — and each one carrying something of that night's atmosphere.

The work was commercially significant too. Multiple designs from A Painted Garden went on to be licensed for fabric — reaching makers, quilters and designers across Australia and internationally. One design was licensed to an Australian jewellery brand for a range of earrings. The collection found its way into homes in forms I hadn't anticipated when I sat down to paint.

But of all eight designs, Protea Magnifica is the one I released as an art print. It's the piece that felt complete enough, singular enough, to stand on its own on a wall.

modern floral art print with proteas in a Living room with wooden side table, floral artwork, and armchair.

Painting What I Wanted to Feel

The flowers at that party were deep and dark — burgundy, crimson, forest green. But I didn't paint what I saw. I painted what I wanted to feel.

I made a deliberate decision to move away from realistic colour entirely. Instead of the deep reds and burgundies of the actual flowers, I worked in mauves, soft pinks, purples and deep greens. Colours that felt luxe rather than literal. Colours that could hold their own in a high-end interior — on a bedding collection, on wallpaper, on a silk scarf — without shouting.

I wanted Protea Magnifica to feel bold without being bright. Dramatic but soft and feminine at the same time. Maximal in composition but restrained in tone. Floral elegance rather than floral energy.

That distinction matters. It's what separates this collection from Flowers of Oz — which is daylight and expression — and places it somewhere quieter and deeper. Candlelight rather than sunshine.

Framed floral artwork displayed in various settings including a desk, nightstand, and bedroom.

Protea Magnifica Fine Art Print Kirsten Katz

The Palette

The colour palette was entirely intentional and entirely non-traditional.

Mauves and soft purples where you might expect pinks. Blue-grey where you might expect green. Deep forest tones as grounding shadows rather than background. The occasional warm yellow — the banksia eye — that holds the whole composition together.

It's a palette built for interiors. For spaces that want something considered and lasting. For people who want floral art that feels genuinely luxe rather than decorative.

I also painted a second colourway — Protea Magnifica Midnight — with the same composition shifted into a darker, moodier palette. That became its own tea towel and has become one of the most loved products in the range. Two moods from one painting. Both atmospheric, both very different.

Tea Towel Set – Magnifica Edition Kirsten Katz

Protea Magnifica Tea Towel Set Kirsten Katz

The Products

Protea Magnifica is the only painting from A Painted Garden that I released as a fine art print — and it's the hero of the collection.

The Protea Magnifica Fine Art Print is printed on quality archival paper in A4, A3 and A2. The palette — those mauves, pinks, blues and deep greens — holds beautifully in print. It's a piece that rewards looking closely.

Beyond the print, the collection includes:

→ Protea Magnifica Silk Scarf — the painting translated into wearable art. The palette works beautifully on silk.
→ Protea Magnifica Tea Towel Set — both colourways together, the original and the Midnight version.
→ Protea Magnifica Botanical Wall Art Gift Set — print and products together, ready to give.
→ Protea Magnifica Wooden Coaster Set — small but considered. The detail in the design works at any scale.

Protea Magnifica Art Print, tea towel, scarf & cards

Who This Collection Is For

If Flowers of Oz is a celebration of Australian native flora in all its wild beauty, Protea Magnifica is for someone who wants something moodier and more considered.

It suits interiors that are already considered — neutral walls, quality furniture, spaces where one piece of art does the work without competing with everything else. It suits someone who wants florals but not sweetness. Drama but not loudness.

It's also a natural gift for someone with a strong personal style. The silk scarf in particular — that palette of mauves, pinks and deep greens on silk — is something you don't find anywhere else.