His mother and grandmother were skilled quilters and ceramicists while his maternal grandfather and great-grandfather were blacksmiths.

It was through him that Lucas learned to make toys for other children and decided to pursue art as a career.

However, after Lucas completed the fourth grade in Elmore County, Alabama, he was scorned and ridiculed by a teacher for having the desire to be an artist.

After this humiliation, Lucas ran away from home at fourteen and began performing technical labor, such as landscaping, car mechanics, truck driving, and construction.

In 1984, at 33-years-old, Lucas fell off of the back of a truck on a construction site and was left permanently disabled.

Growing up with dyslexia, which rendered him illiterate until recently, forced Lucas to rely on visual and aural ways of communication.

[5][7] Lucas makes his art "as toys to play with" through which he hopes "his culture, passion for mankind, and desire for 'social unity'" shine through.

The negative space between the metal bands give the works a "light and airy appearance.

"[3] An example of this work is an eight-foot tall reptilian sculpture displayed on Lucas's property in Pink Lily.