Salvaged Clay

  • Construction activity in the UK extracts thousands of tonnes of clay each year. Most of this clay is classified as waste and sent to landfill.

  • The images above shows clay sourced from a construction site in Wimbledon Woods, London.

Each clay collected by Neve Beill is turned into a small test pot and added to her material archive. She compares both fired and raw forms, calculating the shrinkage rates. Initially, small test tiles are created and fired at varying temperatures to determine which temperature is optimal for desired strength, durability and aesthetic qualities. 

This clay from Wimbledon Woods fired a deep red. This is common for clay found in highly wooded areas due to iron oxide minerals. Developing a range of ways to put this ‘waste material’ to use is the ultimate aim. Whether this is through adding it to an ash glaze recipes, creating domestic wares, functional objects or sculptural work.

Echoes in Clay

Designed and created for law firm, Reed Smith's new headquarters in Blossomyard.

This piece integrates themes of history and sustainability. In alignment with Reed Smith's commitment to reducing waste and my own values, a sustainable approach has been implemented, through utilising clay recovered from a construction site that would otherwise be bound for landfills.

The glaze has been developed using waste materials, such as mixed wood ash from a fireplace, glass shards and construction site clay, further reinforcing the environmentally conscious methodology behind this vessel. 

The vessel's form draws inspiration from Roman pottery, referencing the Blossom Yard site where excavations in the 1990s uncovered a Roman burial ground. The discovery of urns directly informed the shape of this piece.  

Echoes of Land

The ash glaze created for this collection is made entirely from waste materials, a combination of fireplace ash, construction site clay (donated by rescued clay), and glass shards picked up along my travels. Applied onto a stoneware clay and fired at cone 7. The influence for the dark matt finish, accompanied by vibrant crackled areas of greens and earthy tones, came from a recent walk at Box Hill, where vibrant tones overtook the dark bark of the trees. 

Designed and created for the event An Eternal Land, held at the Bureau of Silly Ideas, A night infused with live music by a selection of incredible artists, as well as artwork and much more. All proceeds from this collection have been directly donated to, War Child UK, who are providing food, shelter, and care to children in Gaza.