All clay and glaze materials are harvested in Manitoba with my trusty old shovel. My materials never come from a bag or box and thus contain no industrial byproducts from faraway mines or smelters. 
The places my materials come from have a history and a felt presence in the final products. The geology and biomes of Manitoba are reflected in my pottery.
I harvest fireclay from the foothills of Riding Mountain National Park that were passed over by glaciers.
Silica sand left by an ancient delta near Brandon is used to temper the clay.
Fine ground glacial till from the Teulon area is used to form glaze bases.
Ashes of bulrush, oak, apple and poplar from my wood stove create the shine and different colors of the glazes.
These materials must be harvested, slaked, screened, dried, tested, blended, tested again, and aged to prepare them for use. The clay is thrown on a hand-built kick wheel powered only by my feet. I then wait for the right moment, after days of controlled drying, to glaze the pottery. Once glazed, the pottery is ready for the wood-fired kiln.
McMillan Pottery 