As an artist, Austen creates many different traditional native crafts but also utilizes contemporary visual art forms. His trademark work, pigmented wax on recycled paper, was used by the National Congress of the American Indian for the N.C.A.I. conference logo in 2011. The original hangs at their embassy in Washington D.C. He is also known for painting large public murals, constructing stained glass scenes and carving decorative playable guitars.