Our Story
Maker of Hand-Built Pottery meets Bonsai Grower: Creating art and memories in North Carolina
Life and The Studios
Merritt and Deb first connected when he noticed that Deb made pottery and she saw that Merritt’s bonsai grew in pots. This first conversation planted the seeds for their marriage, and their support for one another’s passions continues to grow. After a long search, Deb and Merritt found a property in Hillsborough, NC with ample garden space and a garage perfectly suited to be converted into a pottery studio. Since making this property their home, the Barnetts have planted vegetable beds, herb gardens, and a blueberry grove that grow along Merritt’s bonsai, and transformed the garage into space for Deb’s clay, kiln, and creativity. Most importantly, their home provides the perfect backdrop to relax and share time with friends and family.
Deb and Merritt enjoy opening up their home- Hardwood Lane Studios- as part of local studio tours. They look forward to talking with you and sharing what’s new.
Bonsai at Hardwood Lane - Merritt Barnett
I have been learning and practicing the Art of Bonsai since 1998. I have always been fascinated by miniature replicas or depictions of Life, whether it was model cars, planes, etc. Bonsai as an art form is sometimes thought of as “Living Sculpture” in that we use living plants to create a three dimensional image of a tree in Nature.
- Bonsai incorporates the use of ceramic containers and/or natural or fabricated stone slabs in the display of Bonsai. The container or slab is part of the composition, complementing the Bonsai, much like a picture frame complements a painting or photograph.
Hardwood Lane Pottery - Deb Barnett
I have always been curious about how things are made and have been fortunate to be surrounded by makers, providing ways to explore places, people, culture, architecture, and more. From my grandmother teaching me to knit, art classes in school, and pottery classes- including Claymakers and Arrowmount - these teachers have provided encouragement, motivation, and amusement. Through this exposure, my initial interest in pottery grew into a life long passion.
So now I am a maker of decorative functional hand built pottery. I’m inspired by Art Nouveau, Asian brushstrokes, textures, stamps, stencils, and things found in nature. There are so many aspects of bending the clay canvas that leave me looking forward to exploring each day what else can be done and what happens when new techniques are applied. Clay. Kiln time. Smile. Repeat.