Why I Paint Flowers: A Botanical Artist’s Story

Artist Interview Series — Studio Stories: Conversations with Kirsten Katz

Part 2: Why I Paint Flowers — A Botanical Artist's Story

This is Part 2 of the Artist Interview Series with Kirsten Katz, Australian botanical artist and surface designer. In this series, Kirsten shares the stories, inspirations and decisions behind her art and her brand — in her own words. [Start from Part 1: My Creative Journey →]

You're known for your vibrant florals and modern Australian botanicals. What draws you to nature as your central muse?

My love for flowers and botanicals has been deeply rooted since childhood. My aunt was a professional artist, and she worked in two distinct genres — portraiture and still life florals. I remember sitting for her as a child, in my ballet costume and tutu, holding a pointed-toe pose for what felt like hours while she painted me from life. She was meticulous and unhurried, and those sessions taught me early what it meant to really look at something.

But it was her still life paintings — vases of flowers, full of energy, expression and beauty — that truly stayed with me. The way she painted them, the way she saw them. Those early experiences planted the seed for what I now create, though I didn't connect the dots until much later in life.

The road trips, the wildflowers, and a vision that had to wait

Travel also played a deep part in shaping my connection to native flora. In the early days of our jewellery business, my husband and I used to drive up the coast of Australia — loading the station wagon, pulling out the Yellow Pages in each town, cold-calling manufacturing jewellers and introducing ourselves door to door. It was our way of building relationships and seeing the country at the same time. Some of those connections still exist today — we now supply to the children and grandchildren of those original customers.

But what I remember most from those trips is the landscape. The wildflowers. The colours of the bush and the coast. They all left a deep visual imprint that I carry with me still.

In the 1980s and 90s, there was a rising wave of Australiana art — posters, lino prints, paintings, cards and souvenirs that actually felt meaningful. Amongst the tourist shops and mass-produced pieces, certain artists were doing something genuinely different — work that captured the real essence of Australia. I noticed it. I always thought: I would love to do something like that one day. But life was full — four children, a business, a busy household — and becoming a working artist didn't feel like a practical choice at the time.

That idea quietly went on the back burner. But it never completely left.

The printer that sat untouched for four years

Years later, with the rise of digital tools and small-batch printing, I began to see new possibilities. I had already built up a body of work inspired by Australian flowers — proteas, waratahs, eucalyptus, orchids. I could scan them. I could potentially print them professionally myself. So I bought a beautiful professional pigment ink printer.

And then I didn't touch it for four years.

I was too afraid. What if I couldn't get the print quality right? What if the colour wasn't accurate? What if I'd spent all that money on equipment and it turned out I couldn't actually do what I imagined? I talked myself out of it, over and over. The printer sat there.

Then COVID hit. Our jewellery business effectively paused. I was at home, I had time, and something shifted. I finally said to myself: just start. I painted, printed, and listed my very first art prints and tea towels on Etsy — just ten products. When that first sale came through, I had no idea what the sound on my phone even was. I genuinely thought it was some app notification I'd accidentally turned on. A few days later I realised: someone had bought something. Then another. Then another.

Sale after sale, slowly, I began to understand that people genuinely loved my art. They were connecting to the flowers and the colour. They were bringing it into their homes. That cha-ching sound became something I knew very well.

Why flowers — and why they'll always be my constant

Through it all, flowers have remained my constant. Yes, I've painted birds, landscapes, and I've done some portraiture work in my own style. But it's always the florals that call me back. There's an endless joy in painting them — their form, their rhythm, the way colour moves through petals. I love native Australian blooms, wildflowers, exotic specimens, anything with personality and presence. Proteas, waratahs, banksias, bromeliads, orchids — anything with a striking shape or an unusual structure draws me in immediately.

I also know exactly who I create for. My customers are predominantly women — homemakers, creatives, gift-givers, mums — who want pieces that reflect their personal style and bring genuine joy into their space. Whether they own their home or are renting, they are creating a sanctuary that feels like them. They love colour. They love flowers. They want art that says something about who they are.

If you love flowers and colour, I am your artist. That's where my heart is, and that's who I create for.

The licensing path that followed — contracts with major companies including Spotlight, collections on fabric, bedding, wallpaper and homewares — all grew from that same foundation. A lifelong love of botanicals, an eye trained since childhood in my aunt's studio, and the courage to finally hit print.

Browse all art prints and botanical paintings by Kirsten Katz, or explore the full range of botanical homewares and gifts.

Continue reading the Artist Interview Series: [← Part 1: My Creative Journey — From Ballet Shoes to Botanical Art] [Part 3: Inside My Studio — How I Bring Each Design to Life →] [Part 4: From Studio to Shelf — How I Choose Which Art Becomes a Product →]