Artist Roger Heitzman uses a different kind of canvas. Wood is the blank slate he uses to create his furniture masterpieces that take people on a journey filled with as many twists and turns as the unique voyage of his career.  

Heitzman, 59, a Scotts Valley resident, says that when it comes to creating his furniture, "I developed sort of a specialty for art deco and art nouveau." Whether he is creating a desk or table, a common element prevails—his work reveals flowing lines in an interesting curvature.

Much like the lines in the furniture he now creates, his career path has had a few curves of its own.

"I've been making furniture as my main occupation probably for about 30 years," he said.

But he didn't always know that he would end up where he is today.

Born in Southern California, Heitzman admits that he has always been inclined to design.

"I've always been the kid who made things," he said. "You know, I made model cars and built my own mini bike when I was 15, and so I always kind of drifted that way." 

After high school, he settled on a career in architecture and received an associate's degree from Grossmont College in San Diego in 1973. He was working as a draftsman with plans to further his education, but he wasn't quite satisfied.

"I came to the realization that [it] wasn't going to work for me; I couldn't sit at a drawing board all day long," he said.

Perhaps the most pivotal point in his life came in the early '70s. He was visiting the San Diego County Fair when he came upon an exhibit.

"They had some pieces of fine furniture that so took me. It was such a seminal moment. I couldn't get enough of it … and I just finally came to the realization that that's what I really wanted to do. Pretty much then and there, I decided [to learn woodworking]."

But this epiphany posed a new dilemma.

"You know, you learn woodworking and then think, 'Well what am I going to do with those skills?'" he said.

"In my research, I kind of came up with the idea—well, maybe I could be a shop teacher," he said.

That's how he landed at Humboldt State University. He studied industrial arts and woodworking, graduating in 1977 with a bachelor's degree and his teaching credentials. But after a stint in the high schools of Humboldt County, Heitzman, once again, had an awakening.

"That experience pretty much taught me that I didn't want to teach," he admits. "Schools tend to put problem kids in shop class, so then you've got problem kids in shop class with power tools and all kinds of ways to make mischief."

Once again, he set out in prospect for his passion.

"All I wanted was to make furniture," he said.  "I was bound and determined to make a living [at it]."

By this time, Heitzman had "fallen in love with Santa Cruz," and moved to the area to follow his passion.

"I just threw myself on the scene," he said.

He started in the craft fair circuit, did gallery showings, and became a member of the Santa Cruz Woodworkers' Association. And he soon found success with commission work and a Northern California customer base.

He spent the next 20 years honing his craft. Over the years, he has been the recipient of several awards. In 2007, he got an honorable mention for the Veneer Tech Craftman's Challenge, and in 2002, he placed first in the Northwest Fine Woodworking Box and Container Show in Seattle.

After years of building a reputation for fine craftsmanship, customers now come to him because they want his "aesthetic."

Today, Heitzman is married and has a 20-year-old daughter. He is at home in his Scotts Valley workshop. He never quite made it to Santa Cruz.

"This place is home to me," he said.

A revealing look around the shop tells a story of his life's work. To the layman, it looks like controlled chaos. Drills, routers and machinery are everywhere. Wood scraps that were once part of a design are stacked in corners. Blocks of mahogany are waiting to be transformed into desks.

Tina Heitzman, Roger's wife of 29 years, sings her husband's praises.

"He's one of the most talented people I know," she said. "He's very passionate about what he does and he's really good at it. He's fortunate to be able to do what he loves for a living. He's grateful for it—we both are." 

Heitzman said he feels his latest creation, which is on display at the Marin County gallery, is "the pinnacle" of his career.

The chair he created, he said, "has elements of everything that I have learned over the years. It's a real winner." 

Heitzman's work is in the display window in the Rittenhouse Building in downtown Santa Cruz. A spring show is planned for the Santa Cruz Museum of Modern Art and History. To learn more about Roger Heitzman, visit his website.