Houston Llew

Houston started enameling in a poorly constructed leaning garage in Atlanta. Houston was unemployed in the middle of the great recession during a record breaking hot summer. Through fortuitous circumstances, Houston befriended the master enamelist, Zingaro. Houston shadowed the artist throughout his studio until he gave Houston the keys to enameling that would later evolve into Houston’s first works – Spiritiles.

For months Houston spent every waking hour over a kiln, experimenting, sketching, living on only “ramen and beer”. The only reason Houston’s art exists today is because he had no other option – no job to fall back on, no security other than what Houston could create. Tenacity keeps him going. When one thing doesn’t work, step back, retool, and try a new path.

Houston loves spitballing ideas and trying seemingly crazy things just to see if they work. By harnessing that constant experimentation, art evolves. That’s how it’s possible to create a dueling form of enameled imagery and with bending stories and quotes out of context into something entirely new…

Houston calls it “design” but it’s something that goes unnamed.

What pushes Houston forward is the uplifting thoughts and musings. This is the cornerstone of his work- creating art that uplifts, and brings a hopeful connection to life.