Sterling #239: Houston Llew Spiritile

Sterling 239 – Houston Llew Spiritile

This is the second of two very special Spiritiles released in honor of Houston’s second-born son.  ‘Sterling’ is dedicated from Houston’s first born son to his new baby brother, and is a representation of the power of lifelong friendship.  The name ‘Sterling’ comes from the nickname Houston’s oldest son gave to his soon-to-be-born baby brother.  The image of two elephants head to head quote reads, “We have always been and always will be friends.  That in itself is a tremendous thing.”

Every Spiritile by Houston Llew is handcrafted in Atlanta, GA.  From American made copper, glass and wood. Finely ground colored glass is handpainted on copper, then fired by kiln at 1500 degrees. It’s like drawing with sand, Houston says, then toasting it on a very hot fire.

Spiritiles visually share the brilliant moments that make up your unique story. As gifts, they share brilliant moments with the people you love. They can wall hang or stand alone, and will never fade or tarnish.

Molten Glass on Copper Tile
Tile Size: 5.25 X 1.75 X 8.5 in.

Here is Nicole to tell you a little about the Spiritiles:

About the Artist:

It is not a simple task to branch out from an established medium and create something new. Late night hours, artist wages, and ramen noodles join the blood, sweat, and tears of growing a new art concept from a classic medium. But all of the hard work and long hours can pay off when combined with a vision for telling stories in enameled wall art. Houston Llew started his venture inside a hot garage in Atlanta in the summer of 2008- at the depths of the worst recession since the Great Depression.

A combined vision for art and an eternal optimism turned a dreary economic situation into an opportunity as Spiritiles deliver a beautifully handmade art product to a market looking for affordable pieces to show their fine art collectors. Today, Houston no longer makes Spiritiles out of a garage -“Llewtopia,” as he calls it, is an expanding art studio near downtown Atlanta employing ten full-time artists and artisans as of October 2013.

Each Spiritile is carefully handmade using a series of intricate stencil techniques. From the beginning, Houston’s vision for his enameled artworks drew from the beauty of simplicity. He sought after animagistic theme for his work rather than pursuing the abstract often seen in other enameled wall art. The image is just the beginning – each piece is paired with a quote sgraffitoed around the sides to create an inspiring story through words and images in glass.

Inside look at the enameling process: