Golden Hour E-010 | Houston Llew Spiritile Spiritiles

“In the summertime / In the sweet summertime.” – Bob Seger

• The Artisan’s Bench exclusive Spiritile
• 8.5 x 5.5 x 2″
• glass enamel on copper, formed around a wood core

This image to us is quintessential summertime. While we drew upon scenes familiar to us here in Michigan, it is a similar story and feeling wherever you call home. Time spent out on the water is something that gives a lot of us the best kind of nostalgia. It evokes memories of good times spent with family and friends, often with classic rock playing in the background. Bob Seger is a musician with a lot of ties to Michigan, but people everywhere have memories tied to his music. He’s a classic!

Chris-Craft speed boats have a long history in Michigan, having been hand-built in Detroit for years. We wanted to pay homage to Detroit as a center of creativity and industry. Our hope with this piece was to honor the place we call home while creating something that people everywhere can relate to.

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Every Spiritile is made painstakingly by hand in Houston Llew’s studio in Atlanta, Georgia. The glass is applied to one side of the metal using stencils and relying on precise layering with hand sifters. The piece is only fired once. After firing, a pin is rolled over the enameled metal to form intentional crazing marks in the glass. Although it goes against the medium’s traditional teachings, Houston says this technique creates increased light refraction, particularly in the transparent glass.

Spiritiles can be hung on the wall (they look especially impactful in groups), displayed freestanding, and even withstand high humidity, direct sun and covered outdoor environments (we recommend taking them inside during cold winter weather).