Biography
photo courtesy of Leisha Lemmond
A native of North Carolina, Caroline Lemmond grew up with clay under her feet -- specifically the red clay of the piedmont. As a young girl, Caroline remembers trips to visit the potteries in the Seagrove area of North Carolina, an area rich in clay, and steeped in the tradition of turning pots. Back in the early ’70’s, there were no maps of potteries. It was truly an exploration -- each trip adding rich experiences and new scraps of paper with scribbled maps of new discoveries where treasure lay in pots made from the earth itself ….
The trips to potteries continued as Caroline grew and excelled in school. She went on to earn a Degree in Economics strangely enough, but walking the straight and narrow never quite fit, nor did a blue suit. Caroline continued to explore the side roads of life. First, the world of natural foods and alternative healing methods, and then on to a Laundromat of all things, where she learned much of the many shades of culture and the landscape of human nature. It was during this time, when she was trying to fit herself into a relationship that was many sizes too small, that she re-discovered pottery at a local community college. It was in clay, that her artist’s soul found true love. Unfortunately, circumstance tore her away from her study after less than a year, with the sudden death of her father.
Life often has a way of getting in the way of truly living it, but Caroline persisted in nurturing the fledgling artist that had emerged. She worked in floral design for awhile, then went on to picture framing for the next 8 years. During this time, she moved to the coast of North Carolina, where she continued framing pictures for many years. Caroline began to outgrow her role on the sidelines of art. Never one to go with the flow, Caroline quit her job in the midst of a recession and sold her house. She began studying yoga as a segue between what her life had become, and who she was becoming. Some health problems emerged, forcing her to seek healing beyond the scope of traditional medicine. Eventually, she traversed back through time -- first to natural healing techniques, and finally, to her roots -- to clay itself -- red clay actually, worked by resident master potter Hiroshi Sueyoshi at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina. Caroline began to heal.
Strangely enough, Hiroshi was actually up in the Seagrove area when Caroline’s family began going in the early ’70s. It is possible, that the paths of this master potter and his new student, had crossed many years ago… Perhaps a young knock-kneed little southern girl, could have watched in awe at the magic worked by the exotic Japanese man at the potters wheel -- not likely, but possible…. And now, 40 years later, she watched again, in awe, as those hands spun magic out of red clay.
Currently, Caroline continues her study of clay with master potter Hiroshi Sueyoshi, at the Pancoe Art Education Center of the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina. Caroline feels that clay is a highly expressive medium that reflects back the hands that work it. As she hones her skills on the potter’s wheel, Caroline continues her conversation with clay, discovering daily what clay has to teach her about herself -- and ultimately how to express her own authentic voice and spin her own magic through the beauty of this medium.
Life is funny … often it is within the greatest challenges, that we find life's greatest gifts -- the buried treasures !
The trips to potteries continued as Caroline grew and excelled in school. She went on to earn a Degree in Economics strangely enough, but walking the straight and narrow never quite fit, nor did a blue suit. Caroline continued to explore the side roads of life. First, the world of natural foods and alternative healing methods, and then on to a Laundromat of all things, where she learned much of the many shades of culture and the landscape of human nature. It was during this time, when she was trying to fit herself into a relationship that was many sizes too small, that she re-discovered pottery at a local community college. It was in clay, that her artist’s soul found true love. Unfortunately, circumstance tore her away from her study after less than a year, with the sudden death of her father.
Life often has a way of getting in the way of truly living it, but Caroline persisted in nurturing the fledgling artist that had emerged. She worked in floral design for awhile, then went on to picture framing for the next 8 years. During this time, she moved to the coast of North Carolina, where she continued framing pictures for many years. Caroline began to outgrow her role on the sidelines of art. Never one to go with the flow, Caroline quit her job in the midst of a recession and sold her house. She began studying yoga as a segue between what her life had become, and who she was becoming. Some health problems emerged, forcing her to seek healing beyond the scope of traditional medicine. Eventually, she traversed back through time -- first to natural healing techniques, and finally, to her roots -- to clay itself -- red clay actually, worked by resident master potter Hiroshi Sueyoshi at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina. Caroline began to heal.
Strangely enough, Hiroshi was actually up in the Seagrove area when Caroline’s family began going in the early ’70s. It is possible, that the paths of this master potter and his new student, had crossed many years ago… Perhaps a young knock-kneed little southern girl, could have watched in awe at the magic worked by the exotic Japanese man at the potters wheel -- not likely, but possible…. And now, 40 years later, she watched again, in awe, as those hands spun magic out of red clay.
Currently, Caroline continues her study of clay with master potter Hiroshi Sueyoshi, at the Pancoe Art Education Center of the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina. Caroline feels that clay is a highly expressive medium that reflects back the hands that work it. As she hones her skills on the potter’s wheel, Caroline continues her conversation with clay, discovering daily what clay has to teach her about herself -- and ultimately how to express her own authentic voice and spin her own magic through the beauty of this medium.
Life is funny … often it is within the greatest challenges, that we find life's greatest gifts -- the buried treasures !