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Houston Llew Spiritiles

"Spiritiles are about positivity," Houston says. The stories on Spiritiles golden sides are specially selected to capture the enlightened moment. Take a look at Fair Winds, #246: "Life is a balance of holding on and letting go." This Rumi quote is accompanied by dandelion seeds taking flight in the wind.  Or hear Charles Schultz wisely proclaim on #222, Seamate: "In life, it's not where you go, but who you travel with."  In red high heels, Marilyn Monroe reminds us on #052, Ms.: if we "Give a girl the right shoes, she can conquer the world." Rarely will you find a negative on a Spiritile. Upward bound stories are one of the most important aspects to Houston Llew Art. Houston is a man of deep southern roots; his studio is in the vibrant city of Atlanta. Formally educated at Auburn and schooled by the great art museums and masters of the world, Houston dabbled with careers in logistics, accounting and poker before finding his true calling: abstracting the levity of life in art.

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FAQ's

Q: My Spiritile is broken! It has cracks! 

 

A: Take a deep breath, Cracks are Cool. They are what make each and every Spiritile truly unique.  They are formed through "Crazing", a part of the vitreous enameling process. When Spiritiles come out of the kiln, a heavy pin rolls over the newly fused glass and copper to make the form more malliable for wrapping.  The cracks create light refraction, causing more interest. 

 

Q: Do you have the Houston Llew St. Nick Spiritile?

A: The 2023 Christmas Spiritile, #281 - St. Nick - is a widely sought after Tile!  It has a particularly heart warming message and imagery.  On top of that, very few of them were made due to a shortage of skilled artisans at the time of the limited production run and the huge demand for all Spiritiles during holiday time. Should we locate one in our network, we are happy to contact you Fill out the form via the "Product Request" on the St. Nick page.

 

Q: What are Spiritiles made of and how are they made?

A: Spiritiles are made of copper, finely ground glass and wood.  The handcrafted process involves copper and glass melting together in a kiln at 1500 degrees.  More about the process, the history, the who, what, where and why can be found on our "Learn More About Spiritiles" page.

 

 

 

 

Q: What Spiritiles do you have for sale?

 

A: We offer the complete current Spiritile collection, many retired Spiritiles, Limited Edition Spiritiles including Christmas Spiritiles as well as Exclusive Spiritiles found only here at The Giving Tree Gallery.  Shop by category at the top of this page. Most are in stock, ready to ship.  

 

Q: I'm looking for a specific Retired Spiritile - can you find it for me?

 

A: Maybe! It's possible we have it in stock now.  Check out our Retired Spirtiles page. If you see "add to cart" - BUY IT! Chances are it's one of the few remaining.  If you see: "product request", fill out the form and we'll do our best to locate it.  We are always on the hunt for rare Spiritiles and are happy to try and track it down.

 

Q: I have a Spiritile I want to sell.  Do you want to buy it?

 

A: Maybe! We are happy to make an offer.  Contact us via info@thegivingtreegallery.com with details and we are happy to discuss. 

 

Q: How much is my Spiritile worth?

 

A: Great question. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Spiritiles are quite special and sometimes there is one that speaks to you loudly.  That aside, factors like: when it was made, if it's current or retired, production run, past and current demand, etc, all play a part in determining the current value of a Spiritile. To learn more, read our "Houston Llew Retired Spiritiles Explained" post.