1967 -1968
Central High School, Hamilton

  In the Fall of 1967 Donn entered Hamilton College Institute and took pottery classes at Central High School in 1967.
The Yellow bowl was his first bowl on the wheel (date1967). Cracked on the bottom he repaired it with kiln cement and covered it over with a Canary Yellow glaze.

  His teacher at the time June Heatherington (Pinkney) encouraged the young studentto enter the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. He was turned down due to a lack of Arts background, and on his way home he saw signs for Sheridan College School of Design. He stopped in, was interviewed and was accepted.

1968 - 1970
Sheridan College - School of Design

  Sheridan was 3 years of expansion and experimentation for Donn. Obsessed with throwing on the wheel, his teacher Robert Held threatened to fail the young lad if here didn't get on with some slab work. For the next year he worked on non-wheel (hand built) pieces and the work opened him to a world of experimentation in slab construction, that is today an intricate part of his studio work.

  At Sheridan he not only developed his skills, he also worked on developing glazes, clay bodies and learned the art of kiln building. His third year thesis was "Setting up a studio pottery".

1971 - 1972
Mohawk College, Hamilton

  In 1971, Donn was appointed Head of Ceramics at Mohawk College. When he entered the College he had 39 students, and by the end of his first year the Ceramics Department was overflowing with 159 part time students. Classes were held in the afternoon and every night as well as the weekends.

  Donn maintained a small studio within the ceramics Department where he refined his line and prepared himself to become a full time Studio Potter.