My Creative Journey: From Ballet Shoes to Botanical Art

Let’s start with your creative journey — when did art first become part of your life, and how did it evolve into a career in design?

Early Creative Influences

Art has really been with me since the very beginning. I know it sounds early, but even at three or four years old, I was surrounded by creativity. My aunt was a professional artist, so I spent time in her studio, absorbing the smell of oils, the textures of canvases, the rhythm of her brushwork. My cousins were also older and incredibly artistic — they were always making something, and I found that world irresistible.


Movement, Discipline & Making

Creativity ran deep in my family. My grandmother was a ballerina and vaudeville performer, and my grandfather was a comedian — they were both part of the theatre world in their day. That spirit of performance and artistic expression was just part of the air I breathed growing up. I started ballet at age four and danced all through my school years — before school, after school, weekends — eventually teaching ballet and even running a small school of my own by the time I was fifteen. Looking back, it was quite entrepreneurial without even realising it!

My love for visual art grew alongside that. At Sunday school, I wasn’t drawn to the religious side of things — I went for the art and craft sessions! We painted, stitched, sculpted, made copper art and string art. It was a hands-on creative playground, and I loved every moment.

Returning to Art — Slowly, Intuitively

Returning to Art

Throughout my teens and early adulthood, I kept creating — sewing, painting, pottery, anything tactile. But it wasn’t until later, after years working with my husband in our jewellery business and raising four children, that I came back to painting more seriously. I’d set up little creative activities for my youngest son Asher when he was a toddler, and I realised, “Why am I not painting too?” So I pulled out my brushes and started again — painting florals, still life, native Australian flowers, proteas — the things I’ve always been drawn to.


Discovering Surface Design

That rekindling led to mosaics, where I transformed my own paintings into intricate wall panels. Then came printmaking courses at the National Art School, experimenting with lino, woodblock and other techniques. At some point, my daughter — who was studying fashion — suggested a print and textile design course. I was 48 and had never studied formally, but something clicked. I enrolled in a full-time course, and that’s where I first heard of “surface pattern design.”

It was like a lightbulb moment: I realised that the fabrics I’d always adored didn’t just exist — someone actually designed them. From screen printing to hand-drawn pattern repeats, I learned it all, and something inside me lit up. At the time, it wasn’t meant to be a business — it was just a passion project. But when I shared some designs on Instagram in 2012, people began asking if they could license or buy them. I didn’t even know what art licensing was!

From Passion to Artist & Designer

That curiosity led me into a whole new world — surface design, art licensing, illustration — and eventually, taking my collections to New York in 2018, and 2019. There’s a whole next chapter in that journey, but it all started with a lifelong love of creativity, reignited in those precious moments painting beside my children. 

Big Blooms - Modern Flower Art Print  Kirsten Katz

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Wall Art

Original artworks designed to bring colour, calm, and character into your home — from expressive botanicals to modern, statement pieces.

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7-Day Tea Towel Set – Mid-Century Pop Edition Kirsten Katz

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Homewares

Art made to be lived with. Thoughtfully designed pieces that bring beauty, colour, and personality into everyday spaces.

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Accessories

Wearable art inspired by original paintings — expressive, distinctive pieces designed to add colour and individuality to your style.

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Art For Those Who Love Colour & Flowers

The ideas explored throughout this creative journey continue to shape every collection and piece created today. What began as a personal love of painting and colour has grown into an artist-led brand grounded in originality, care, and considered creativity.

You can learn more about the artist behind the work on the About Kirsten Katz page, discover the values and process that guide the brand in Art Behind the Brand, or explore the original paintings that sit at the heart of this journey in Original Paintings.

“Art has always been my way of understanding the world — through colour, pattern, and quiet moments of making.”