The Life of an Artist with Austin Heitzman

Austin Heitzman has made an indelible mark on bonsai, and put his stamp on the art form in North America. Beyond the technique and engineering that have allowed him to make some of the most gravity defying and cutting-edge designs in the bonsai realm, Austin’s passion for the unseen, never-before done, and the assumed impossible make his work something that stands alone. Ryan and Austin sat down on a cool spring evening to catch up and discuss recent happenings and upcoming ambitions. As usual, the conversation meandered through many topics including fossil hunting, unicorns of the wood world, and the rarely discussed marvels of hernia surgery. Perhaps the most intriguing discussion though, was Austin’s perspective of the life of an artist and the balance creative living has to strike with the compromising necessity to make a living doing what we love. The discussion was enlightening and thought provoking as Austin and Ryan go deep on the directions they’ve chosen in life and what it takes to make it all work in this wild world of bonsai. Enjoy!