I live in East Hartford and make my living as both a musician and a music teacher. Over the years, I’ve played in church and with different bands, and while music has always been my first love, art has held a special place in my heart too. For a long time, life, marriage, and raising kids pushed art into the background—something I told myself I’d return to “when I had the time.”

That moment came during a difficult season of my life, when I was searching for a way to ease the emotional pain I was carrying. I remembered my dad, who had been a woodcarver, and how he once taught me to whittle sticks with a simple knife. After he passed away, my mom gifted me his carving tools, and I still use them today. Picking them up again felt like reconnecting with him—and with myself.

As my passion grew, so did my curiosity. Alongside my love for art, I’ve always been fascinated by ancient European history. In exploring my family genealogy, I discovered that the “Quinn” line on my mother’s side traces back to the original Celts of Ireland. That discovery led me into books about Celtic culture, and I quickly fell in love with their art—primitive yet powerful, with a voice that spoke directly to me.

My woodcarving began to evolve, blending in other art mediums and drawing deeply from this ancient inspiration. Some of my pieces replicate historical works I’ve admired in books, while others are original interpretations rooted in the Celtic spirit. My favorite projects are the ones that appear to be brass or metal but are, in fact, entirely carved from wood.

And so, Celtic Quinn Folk Art was born—an expression of heritage, creativity, and a journey of rediscovering art through both memory and history.