Houston Llew
Charleston, SCWhat pushes me forward is the uplifting thoughts and musings. This is the cornerstone of my work - creating art that uplifts, and brings a hopeful connection to life.
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Houston’s work in enameling is based on his belief that meaningful art is about emotion. Thus, every Spiritile created reflects a piece of our story. These icons stretch our memory and bring to mind the people we love, the things we cherish, and the passions we pursue. When collected, Spiritiles become a montage of moments that make us smile, laugh, remember, and dare to dream. Some Spiritiles quote authors and poets, other philosophers and fellow artists, but every piece is designed to speak to our life and reach our emotive self.
Get to Know the Artist
Houston Llew is an artist of vitreous enameling, blending glass and copper to form luminescent works featuring a harmony of depictions and quotes that capture the meaningful moments of life.
Houston started enameling in a hot Atlanta garage in 2008, after finding himself unemployed in the middle of the great recession and in need of an artistic medium of his talents. Through fortuitous circumstances, Houston met the master enamelist Zingaro and followed him around, shadowing the artist around his studio until he gave Houston the keys to enameling that would later evolve into his first work - Spiritiles. For months he spent every waking hour over a kiln, experimenting, sketching, living on only "ramen and beer."
Houston says that the only reason his art exists today is because he had no other option - no job to fall back on, no security other than what he could create himself. This tenacity kept Houston going so that when one thing wouldn't work, he would step back, retool, and try a new path. Houston is infamous for "spitballing" ideas and trying seemingly crazy things just to see if they work. By harnessing that constant experimentation, his artistry evolved from enameled imagery to a combined image and story design. From the beginning, what pushed Houston forward was the uplifting thoughts and musings. This became the cornerstone of his work- create art that inspires, uplifts, and brings a hopeful connection to life.
In The Studio
Each Spiritile is crafted first by laying powdered glass, or “frit,” onto a perfectly cut copper canvas, using a series of stencils for each layer of color, playing cards, and hand sifters to carve out the design. Once delicately aligned and layered, the glass and metal is carefully placed in the red-hot kiln to keep the glass from shifting, and timing is of utmost importance. Once fired, the enameled piece is removed from the kiln and cooled under a planchet.
The natural “crazing marks” that occur in enamel increase the luminescence of the glass. By rolling a pin over the surface of each piece after cooling, the light refraction in the glass increases and the enamel becomes malleable enough to frame.
Discovering how to wrap enamel in three dimensions around a frame was one of Houston’s most significant design achievements. By using a thin sheet of copper and precisely aligning the glass edges, each Spiritile is molded and affixed to a solid wooden frame, wrapping the story, author, and Houston’s signature around the sides.
Care and Installation
Enamel artwork is best polished with household glass cleaner and a soft cloth. These delicate yet durable artworks are made to last, resist fading, shine under light, and fire up a meaningful conversation. Spiritiles can stand up on a flat surface or hang on a prized wall. They can stand alone, but love company. Each piece is sized the same to mix and match for a collection that tells your story.
Hanging Instructions: For best results, use drywall screws. When inserting the screw, leave a 0.25" gap so the frame’s hollow edge can rest securely on the screw head. This ensures the artwork sits flush against the wall. If you’re hanging multiple pieces, space the screws 7.25" apart horizontally and 10.5" apart vertically for a balanced look.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are ‘limited edition’ and ‘retired’ Spiritiles?
A limited edition Spiritile is a special release that is produced in limited quantities and often tied to specific occasions or holidays. These tiles are not part of the standard seasonal collections and are available only for a short time or until sold out. A retired Spiritile is a tile that is no longer in production. With every new seasonal collection (spring, summer, fall, winter), a selection of Spiritiles is retired, increasing their value as they become rarer. While current Spiritiles are priced at $179-$199, retired tiles typically see their value rise to $250 or more due to their limited availability.
What are the unique cracks?
These are known as ‘Crazing’ - intentionally created to play with light, enhancing the material’s inherent shimmer and making each Spiritile come alive through light refraction. It increases the luminescence of the glass.
Does Houston Llew offer custom pieces?
Houston Llew does not offer customizable Spiritiles. However, if there is a Spiritile you are interested in and don’t see it on the website, please inquire regarding availability of the piece.