One of the things I like most about working with slate is that every piece is a little different.
You can engrave the same artwork onto two pieces from the same batch and still see small differences in the edges, surface texture, thickness, and natural markings.
Consistency does not mean identical
At first I thought consistency meant trying to make every finished piece look exactly the same. I do not look at it that way anymore.
I want the quality of the artwork, preparation, engraving, and finishing to be consistent. But slate is a natural stone. Removing every sign of natural variation would also remove some of what makes the material interesting.
Those differences are part of why an engraved slate piece feels more like an object than a reproduction.
The material becomes part of the artwork
Natural edges can frame the composition differently from one piece to the next. Tiny surface variations can catch light differently. Even the untouched black areas of the slate have their own texture.
That is one reason our designs are built with the material in mind instead of treating slate as a blank piece of paper. You can read more about the material in our Guide to Engraved Slate Art.
The same idea applies to wood: grain and color move from piece to piece. Natural material asks you to work with what is there rather than pretend every blank is identical.
If you want to see how those variations look across finished work, the current collection is in the shop.