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The Medals Ceremony: Thanking the Artists Involved with “Becoming”

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There were many incredible artists who played on the new album, “Becoming”. These contributions took the record from my guitar/vocals/toys-from-the-basement sound to a lush recording that included stand-up bass, drums, more vocals, violins, guitars, trumpet, etc.

In order to thank them properly Betony and I wanted to do some sort of meaningful and creative celebration.

So we had a Medals Ceremony and Listening Party. It was so wonderful and we wanted to share pictures.

First we started with a homemade meal that had several courses. If any of you are ever invited to a dinner that my wife is making… drop everything. I know you like her paintings… well, she’s also an artist with food.

After the meal I put on the music from the Star Wars IV Throne Room Scene. It’s a triumphant fanfare and fits just how I feel about these musicians. They are heroes.

I presented them each with a vintage medal (most were from midwest music programs in the 80’s, where they did honors right).

As I gave their medals I said some silly lines about each of them. I’ll recount those here now! And, fair warning, they involve a lot of private jokes.

Mary Claxton (vocals, electric piano)
This aspiring female comic is also an amazing female drummer who masquerades as a female teacher during the day. (she also hates the adjective female)
Girl Woman: Mary Claxton

Brian Claxton (drums, marimba)
One of the best male drummers in Greeley, his playing is both tender and delicious, like slow-cooked brisket. Ladies and gentleman, Brian Claxton.

Hayden Farr (barri-saxophone)
Of all the Becoming musicians, I knew him least of all. But we had a beer together so now we’re best friends. Giants & Pilgrims rookie of the year recipient and the token saxophone player: Hayden Farr

Graham Bylsma (electric guitar)
This young man wins the “most easily mistaken for having just smoked weed” award cause he’s just so chill, is the best guitarist to ever have a bike stolen off of my front porch: Graham Bylsma

Melanie Haskins (violin)
Known for making the best lattes and having the loudest cannon-blast laugh of WELD County, the concert-iest of all Concert violinists: Melanie Haskins

Johnny Burroughs (vocals, guitar)
He’s Greeley’s most eligible bachelor eliciting desire from 12 to 85 year olds, he also wins the award of “most reminds me of Kanickie” from Grease: Johnny Burroughs

Wes Sam-Bruce (video director)
To quote 90’s classic The Addams Family: kitch… Down kitty!” Here’s the Macully Culkin of art! A boy wonder wonder boy: Wes Sam-Bruce

Craig Basarich (trumpet)
The sultan of slice, king of cheese, the colossus of crust, The pope of pizza, the padre of the pie, the great bambino! One of my best friends: Craig Bassarich

Bron Khan (bass)
He wasn’t able to come… so I didn’t write anything silly about him.

After these ridiculous intros and hand-shaking and photo-ops with their medals, we headed into the living room to hear the whole album while eating desert.

As I said, it was a magical night and I’m so thankful for these wonderful artists. I’m honored they would share their gift with Betony and I. They are one of the main reasons I’m so excited to share this album with you.

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Documenting Our Creative Process – A Photo Series

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This post is part of an ongoing series we post every couple of weeks, sharing our journey as working artists. Sometimes it is good to take the veil off of the creative process and showcase how we get from A to Z. See some of the other posts here.

So many little aspiring musicians around here.

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This creative mixer/master, the elusive Dave Wilton of Saint Ida’s studio, has been working his magic on our new “Becoming” album. I am almost giddy I am so excited about it.

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Tim has been experimenting downstairs with a new creative venture. Notes, harmonies, layering….sound and smell aren’t that far apart.

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We have been enjoying lots of Chalk art, especially in anticipation of one of our favorite Greeley, CO events, the Greeley Chalk a Lot on Sept. 12th.
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While momma has been painting away on her own projects, Lucy hatched out this fluttery, neon butterfly.
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I have slowly but surely been closeted away working on this new series of ours (“Becoming” will be an album AND art series). I truly can’t wait to share it with you all.
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I love my little studio view of the Treehouse Village. This window also becomes a temporary landing page for collage pieces I haven’t yet incorporated but that are providing inspiration.  IMG_6387

 

Documenting our Creative Process – A Photo Series

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—This post is part of an ongoing series we post every couple of weeks, sharing our journey as working artists. Sometimes it is good to take the veil off of the creative process and showcase how we get from A to Z. See some of the other posts here.—

A week ago, Tim had the opportunity to play at our downtown’s Friday Fest. He wrote a song called “My Unexpected Home” that was showcased as part of the kick off of our city’s “Greeley Unexpected” campaignIMG_4957

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He has also been busy tracking away with all sorts of amazing musicians on the new “Becoming” album – which is already sounding FABULOUS.
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Lucy has been perfecting the art of self portraiture

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I have been working on some of the smaller pieces for our Becoming series –

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The girls and I have been drawing on a bunch of sketches for a calendar we are designing! Hopefully to be released next month.

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I finished up this logo project for my Mom’s button business.


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And finally, I cleared out my studio of all my old series art pieces and have had a “Summer Clearing” show up at the Blue Mug at Margie’s coffee shop this month.

Betony Coons from www.giantsandpilgrims.com Summer Clearing art show

Documenting the Creative Process: a Weekly Photo Series

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We are excited to start a new series of posts on this site dealing with our creative process. These will mostly be pictures of tidbits; the art we are creating in our family. I love seeing other people’s process in their work, so we’re sharing this, a few times a month, here this season!

This will also be our way of taking a bird’s eye view of the fields we’re involved in… It’s easy to feel scattered and lose sight of the what’s being made in all the messes. We’ll be able to post these pictures and say, “Hey, we ARE doing stuff! The process is slow, but good!” I’m sure MANY of you relate.

Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Laying out all the pieces of a new series and seeing how pieces work together.IMG_2347
Planning and dreaming about what is going to go in this space at our local library.IMG_2366

Drawing portraits of their baby sister.

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Still to be revealed, but spending lots of time on my newest children’s book project!

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Giants & Pilgrims’ New Project: “Becoming”

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(Above: a piece in process from Betony titled “On Becoming an Artist”)

I’ve been surprised by something recently- I’ve been surprised that I am still growing.

Now, in all physical ways I’ve actually stopped growing. In fact, my body has peaked and I am really in the process of dying. I am no longer a youth heading to adulthood.

But you understand what I mean. I’m still growing: as a human being. I feel like I’m in this deep process of “becoming” the person I’m longing to be. Is it strange to be surprised by that?

I had the understanding, since I was young, that one day I would grow up. That I would be a wise (and, of course, boring) adult. That was the arrival point- to become a static human with a family and a job and a spouse, contributing to the civilized world.

Here’s where I’m surprised, and delightfully so. None of us are static. We are SO dynamic. In my family, in my wisdom, in my work, in my soul, I am still growing and reaching and enriching and stretching.. and becoming. We are always growing IN to these things, not UP to a stopping place. I find such comfort in that: there is no arrival point for the soul. Even in the deepest heavens we will always be reaching “further up and further in”, as C.S. Lewis writes when closing his Narnia series.

This view of a dynamic soul has only been compounded since being surrounded by my children. I’m captivated watching them come into personhood in such powerful ways. Not just everyday- Every moment. They are fountains and explosions of rapidly growing soul. I believe this is one of the greatest parts of parenthood. It’s a rebirth of wonder from the place of joyous spectator.

So it is from this “surprise and delight” over continued growth where Betony and my new Giants & Pilgrims project starts.

I have the beginning of an album and she has the start of a painting series. We are, together, sharing our discoveries of “becoming”. Currently I’m capturing the first recordings of songs in the basement. The lyrics and acoustic-driven arrangements are saturated with children’s toy instruments. Betony has been organizing bits and pieces of collage elements (hundreds of bits and pieces!) and has started the process of creating with them.

We’re excited to share this project with you all soon. Be looking towards the fall of this year, but that’s a loose date. We just wanted to share what all we’ve been dreaming, while the process is still fresh and crackling with formation; while it’s still becoming.

Thanks for your support and love,

Tim & Betony
Giants & Pilgrims

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