Alison Mitchinson – Red Earth ArtsAlison Mitchinson - Red Earth Arts

I studied ceramics many years ago at Plymouth College of Art and Design and in 2025 I returned to working with clay after a long break. My workshop is at the bottom of the garden surrounded by birds, and birds often find their way into the clay.

My work is mostly figurative and what I enjoy most is making people; I love that magical moment when you look at what you’re making and someone looks back at you.
Often it’s not who you were expecting. Some figures are part human and part animal, emerging from folklore and myth and a strong connection to the natural world. I’ve recently started work on a series of portraits of imaginary people and I find myself waiting, intrigued, to see who will come through next.

I handbuild everything in terracotta clay, decorate with coloured slips and oxides then fire in a small electric kiln.