Loving Slate

Originally created by Terry Hawkins in 2016, Loving Slate has developed and been taken over by a young team of enthusiastic partners, Prentice Wilkinson-Weir, Amy Connor and László Ostorhazi.

Amy has taken inspiration from Terry and continued to develop her skills as he took a step back from production. She has mastered the unique layering technique used to create each piece; involving an innovative and original approach which combines traditional methods of working with slate. Using this new technique, László and Amy have designed a range of beautiful sculptures and framed works, each individually and lovingly handcrafted producing unique pieces of art with an intriguing level of detail and intricacy.

The art created has all been made from 100% waste material from Honister Slate Mine, which itself has been mining the 450-million-year-old Westmorland slate since the early 1700s. Now, whilst Loving Slate recycles the “debris” left over from the production of roofing and flooring, the entire extraction process of rock from the last working slate mine is fully sustainable.

Prentice says, ‘‘When I learnt Terry was thinking of taking a step back from Loving Slate, I thought it would be a great opportunity to continue the admirable work he started. Living and working alongside Terry as he developed the business, I saw how people interacted with the art he was creating and thought it would be a great shame if Loving Slate closed”.

Terry says, “I love the natural beauty of slate in its original form and I hope our art stays true to this! I look forward to seeing the new team go from strength to strength in the near future”.