Mulqueen, Lenard

Len started woodworking as a hobby in 1970 and started wood turning in 1980. He has been a wood turning artist for over 25 years. Developing a skill for his craft of turning, he has been recognized and has had many of his pieces, over the years, in galleries from New York City to the Hamptons. A few noted people who have some of his work are Bernadette Castro, Governor Pataki, and Golf Course Architect Reese Jones.

Len is also currently President of the Central Park Historical Society of Bethpage and has held that office for the past 12 years. He is a graduate of Bethpage High School and was in the military for three years. After his military service he worked as an auto mechanic specialist, having his own business in auto racing and building race cars and special metal pieces for that industry. He then began a career in custom metal fabrication and design, also creating unique lawn sculptures out of stainless steel and aluminum.

He joined the Long Island Woodturners Association and became V.P., then President shortly after from 1987 to 1995. He is still a very active member today and is also a member of the American Woodturners Association.

Having a broad curiosity for wood species, graining and origin of types, he started using exotic woods from around the world, using a complex and precise stave bowl construction as not to waste any of the very pecious exotic wood. He also specializes in natural edge and hollow turned vessels. Sometimes many different mediums are incorporated in his woodturnings where he adds metal, stained glass, wood burning, and wood caving technique, just to name a few.

He rarely uses stains on any of his pieces because such woods as Zebra, Brazilian Rosewood, Ebony, Tulipwood, and American woods like Cherry Burl, Oak and Walnut all have such naturally beautiful color and grain, there is no reason to change or add coloring by using a stain. He uses the shape and grain to bring out the beauty of the wood.

"My wood turning is still a work in progress - most of the time I will let the wood itself dictate the shape and the type of procedure I use to reach a finished piece. Who knows where a beautiful piece of wood will take me."

Information taken from True Line Concepts 2009