Glenn Lucas has an international reputation for his proficiency at the lathe and his ability to pass on to students, the skills and knowledge he has gained. He balances his production of classic bowls turned from native Irish wood (set up in 1995), with an extensive teaching programme run from his County Carlow ‘Woodturning Study Centre’ (since 2005) in rural south-east Ireland.
In January 2021, in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Glenn moved into a purpose-designed woodturning training centre. Unable to have students visit the centre in person, he has a dedicated Zoom-room and runs a busy private tuition schedule as well as a remote demonstration programme to clubs and groups using high-definition cameras to show every turning and tool detail. ‘It’s just like being there, without the jet lag!’ Since August 2021 the woodturning centre has welcomed woodturners back on 3-day classes, 5-day classes and private classes.
In May 2013 a range of Glenn Lucas Signature Woodturning Tools was launched by Craft Supplies USA. Glenn’s love of video-making and photography can be seen in the short video clips he makes showing how things are made. See his YouTube channel for short clips.
Until 2020, Glenn was a frequent guest Demonstrator at overseas conferences, he also gave Turning Masterclasses at international arts and crafts schools. This now happens through remote demonstrations and virtual symposia. In October 2010 he produced the first Irish woodturning DVD ‘Mastering Woodturning – Tools and Techniques’ and in June 2011 launched ‘Mastering Woodturning – Bowl Turning Techniques’. In November 2014 ‘Mastering Woodturning – Sharpening Techniques’ was added to the series. The fourth DVD ‘Mastering Woodturning – Traditional Irish Platter’ came out in December 2015, the fifth in Jan 2016 is ‘Mastering Woodturning – Dublin Viking Bowl’ and the sixth ‘The Beaded Bowl’ was completed in 2018. All six DVDs have been favourably reviewed and are stocked by outlets worldwide. All are also available to download so that Glenn’s tuition can be brought into the workshop on your device. All these videos are available as downloads alongwith, in 2020, many videos of Live Remote Demos – subjects include: Sharpening, Bowl Coring, the Salad Bowl, Closed Form Bowl, Thin Wall Bowl, Lidded Bowl, Textured Milk Paint Bowl and large Beech Platter. All of these videos and projects are now available through a streaming channel for an annual subscription to the Glenn Lucas Woodturning Club.
In recent years he has been asked by RTE to show his work to young audiences in the series ‘Makers’ broadcast in Oct 2015 and still on RTE player, and in 2011 in the series CraftMaster (often re-run). View them here: RTE ‘Makers’ mention Episodes 6,7,8,9,10.
Watch some of Glenn’s short woodturning movies here.
Career History
Glenn’s Awards & Career Highlights
- Launched the Glenn Lucas Woodturning Club – streaming subscription video channel and group meetings with Glenn.
- Hosted wood collaboration in April 2022 for Craft Hub EU
- January 2021 Glenn moved into a purpose-built Woodturning Study Centre. Designed by Helena Fitzgerald Architect, this ‘black barn’ nestled in its beautiful rural setting with wonderful views of Mount Leinster and the Blackstairs mountains, is equipped to teach woodturning to the highest standards.
- Many of Glenn’s one-off exhibitions pieces are in collections around the world. In 2017, Glenn was part of a skilled team who worked a high-profile sculptural commission with Lufthansa called ‘Solar Orb’ or ‘Sunsphere’, designed by German Artist Jürgen Batscheider, to remember those lost in the tragic Germanwings crash in 2015. See Our Blog Post Here.
- Frequently commissioned to make special pieces for presentation to visiting Heads of State to Ireland, various Irish Government Department Ministers including Dermot Aherne, Mary Harney and the collection of ex President Mary McAleese
- In 2016 he was visited by the America PBS programme DESTINATION CRAFT who broadcast the programme in 2017 (watch the clip on my blog on home page).
- Featured maker in the AAW magazine with an article by Terry Martin, Oct 2015.
- Featured on MAKERS, an RTE short series on woodturning made for young audiences in 2015. Glenn’s episodes are numbers 6,7,8,9,10
- Hosted, for Carlow Arts Festival EIGSE, a Wood Art Collaboration with 22 international and Irish wood artists in June 2013. The finished commission is a 6.5 metre-long wall of wood which showed at the VISUAL arts centre in Carlow for the summer of 2013
- First Irish turner to have a range of Signature Woodturning Tools, with Hamlet Craft Tools Sheffield, and available in outlets worldwide
- Selected and participated as the Master Turner in RTE television’s series (Sept –Oct 2011) ‘Craft Master’
- Produced Ireland’s first woodturning DVDs in a series called ‘Mastering Woodturning’ – 2010 Techniques followed in 2011 by Bowl turning, 2014 Sharpening and 2015 Platter project and Dublin Viking Bowl and in 2018 The Beaded Bowl.
- Set up Ireland’s first ‘Woodturning Study Centre’ in 2007 and invites master turners from around the world as well as runs private classes
- Frequently demonstrates and teaches at International symposia and schools in the USA, Norway, Germany, Finland, New Zealand, Australia and England
- ‘Essence of Ireland award, Showcase Ireland 2009 – presented by President Mary McAleese
- Selected for ‘Stories in the Making’ podcast for YouTube, commissioned by the Crafts Council of Ireland 2009
- Oct 2007-June 2008 – Ecology, Mythology, Technology – Crafts Council of Ireland exhibition in National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny and Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, Dublin
- Oct 2007 – Creations in Wood – 4-man show, Eblana Gallery, Dublin
- Nov 2006 & 2007 – selected for participation in SOFA Sculptural Object Functional Art exhibition, Chicago
- Mar 2005 – Returned to Co Carlow and set up Woodturning Study Centre
- Jan 2005 – Crafts Council of Ireland 3 year international group touring show – 40 Shades of Green
- June 2004 – Fine Forms – 3-man show – Eigse Arts Festival, Carlow
- Nov 2004 – Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show (selection of Irish guest artists)
- Sept 2001 – winner of Limited Editions, Crafts Council of Ireland touring show
- April 2001 – VIP magazine promotion in association with Barry’s Tea
- 2001 winner of the Best New Product at Showcase Ireland, presented by President McAleese
- 1999 winner of RDS Forestry Award
- 1999 group exhibition Dressing Table – Olympia London and Celtic Connections Festival Wales
- Selected for tabletop exhibition, V&A London
- 1998 merit award, RDS Forestry Awards
- 1997 Moved to Carlingford, Co Louth and set up workshop there (until 2005)
- Exhibited at Kilkenny Art Week – winner of best wood product
- Frequent Demonstrator for the Irish Woodturners Guild and selected seminars
- Features in Irish interior magazines such as Select Magazine, Image Interiors, House and Home
- Set up business 1995 and 1996 started Business Skills Course with Crafts Council of Ireland in Kilkenny
Woodturning Study Centre
Study Centre Events
Over the past few years we have been honoured to present guest woodturners at the Woodturning Study Centre for special demonstration events. We have also participated in one-off collaborative and group events. Below are some of the highlights of these exciting moments in the history of the Woodturning Study Centre.
Wood Art Collaboration
Participating in the Wood Art Collaboration June 2013: Michael Brolly USA, Christian Delhon France, Sharon Doughtie USA, Art Liestman Canada, Mark Sanger England, Neil Turner Australia, Jacques Vesery USA, Louise Hibbert UK, Brendan Hogg Ire, Brid O’Halloran Ire, Ambrose O’Halloran Ire, John Lee Ire, Xiang Dong Wang China, Glenn Lucas Ire, Roger Bennett Ire, Emmet Kane Ire, Liam Flynn Ire, Alan Meredith Ire, Cillian Ó Súilleabháin Ire, Adam Doran Ire, Liam O’Neill Ire, Terry Martin Australia
Wood artists with finished wall at Glenn Lucas Woodturning Study Centre, 2013.
Click below to see photos taken by Harry Reid of the making of the wall in my workshop from 31st May-6th June 2013 with 22 artists, carvers, furniture makers, turners from around the globe. After the work was shown in the VISUAL in Co Carlow it went to Terminal 1 in Dublin Airport on loan for a year. It is currently in the Carlow Arts Festival office in Dublin St, Carlow. View Facebook Gallery →
Guest Woodturners
Terry Martin
July, 2012
Australian author and woodturner Terry Martin. Known to many Irish turners for his fine publication with Kevin Wallace entitled ‘New Masters of Woodturning – Expanding the Boundaries of Wood Art’ which features Liam Flynn. Visit Terry’s Website → View Facebook Gallery →
Ashley Harwood
November, 2011
American woodturner Ashley Harwood demonstrated her very fine spindle turning and also the ‘push cut’ style of turning. Visit Ashley’s Website → View Facebook Gallery →
Ray Key
April, 2011
Ray Key, one of Britain’s best known craftsmen gave a three day masterclass. Ray has had a great influence on turning for decades. View Facebook Gallery →
Other Guest Woodturners
We’ve also been fortunate to host:
Mike Mahoney, Oct 2010 – View Facebook Gallery → Clinton Biggs, Oct 2010 Ciaran Forbes and Mike Mahoney, Sept 2010 Liam O’Neill, April 2010 Benoit Averly, Oct 2009 – View Facebook Gallery → Liam Flynn and Ciaran Forbes, Sept 2009 – View Facebook Gallery → Richard Raffan, May-June 2009 – View Facebook Gallery → Mark Baker, March 2009 View All Our Facebook Event Galleries →