Tommyknockers, Tommyknockers

Artists

Joel Robinson , Cassie Fazio

Year

2024

Location

Foothills, inside near Shoe Dept. Encore

Description

Tommyknockers, Tommyknockers is a mural design that pays homage to the creatures of Cornish folklore, stories of which migrated with the mining communities of the East Coast down to those in Colorado in the mid 19th century. Although the origin of the Tommyknockers themselves is debatable (some communities insist that they are the spirits of the departed who died in mining related accidents, while others claim Tommyknockers as cryptids) they are largely respected. Scores of miners claim to have come in contact with Tommyknockers, but nobody has seen one and lived to tell the tale. This has led to the superstition that Tommyknockers can only be seen by those about to die. It also has led to some debate surrounding the appearance of the Tommyknockers.

Some claim that their skin is green. Some claim that every one is clad in thick white whiskers. It is universally agreed that they are small folk who are old in appearance and dress as the miners themselves. Tommyknockers are a fascinating piece of local history that has captured our imagination, and Joel and Cassie were excited to dive into the lore and create a visual representation of a piece of history from Old Colorado.

Joel and Cassie met in the art department at Walla Walla University, both going on to graduate with degrees in art in 2020 and 2021 respectively. After school they moved to Cassie’s hometown of Loveland. Joel works as an independent illustrator and Cassie as an Edward Jones investment advisor working out of her office in Fort Collins, with an Etsy sticker shop on the side. Joel and Cassie share a beautiful Siamese named Portobella, whom they adopted from the NOCO Humane Shelter in 2019.

Photos

Front and top of mural design

Back and sides of mural design.