What do you think of the T Shirts above? 

Nope, they weren't actually drawn by me, but by kids! And this is what they'd look like printed on a T Shirt.

What's my point? 

Well, you know how little kids like to draw you a picture and you end up shoving it in the kitchen drawer? (Hey...what are you supposed to do if you don't own a pin-board?!) Or how about when your niece or nephew has drawn a cracking portrait of you? (massive eyes, massive lips and a stick thin body)...Or check that one of a hand print above, priceless non? (that hand isn't always going to be so small) I think all of these things would be a great idea for a T Shirt / canvas. I especially like the squiggly one - I'd wear that with some jeans - it's cool. Honestly, think about how chuffed your kid would be if you got one of their pictures put on a T Shirt? They'd feel well pleased with themselves!

Another good idea (I reckon anyway) is, when it's a rainy day and they are bored, arguing or being nasty to the cat, sit them down and get them to draw a picture with the promise of getting it printed up. I don't know anyone (especially young people who need all the encouragement that they can get) that wouldn't be proud to have some of their artwork on show, do you? You could also get them to design one for their granny, their teacher...their doll, their dad, best friend or the tooth-fairy. 

All for a tenner!

You know what, if I had a kid I'd get him/her to design MY T Shirts (ha - that sounds like total exploitation actually)...because at least  I'd know it was original and meant something. Also, I'd be able to show the young'uns artistic skills off to all and sundry. If I had a whole brood of them, even better! I'd hold a T Shirt design competition every Sunday. Orrrrr maybe not....

I still think it's a great idea though :-)

Let me know what you think!

:-)

Ta ra for now!

Kerry x

If you would like to own this unique piece of artwork then you best snap it up quick as there has already been plenty of interest in it. It has been painted in acrylic and is 15 x 16 inches. The price is £175 (including postage and packaging) and is sold with the frame. Contact us via the website, our facebook account or on Tel: 01642-485343 if you want any further details or call into the shop if you would like a closer look!

While I'm here, I may as well talk a bit about Amy Winehouse!

I don't know an awful lot about her (apart from the fact she was a great singer and died last year) but I did a little google-quest earlier and after a good read of about 5 million websites, I think she was troubled, but she was real, strong, vulnerable and genuine. I like her. For any of you people who like her too, I've pinched a few quotes from the internet from her interviews etc. Enjoy.

"There is no point in saying anything but the truth. Because, at the end of the day, I don't have to answer to you, or my ex, or ... I shouldn't say God ... or a man in a suit from the record company. I have to answer to myself."

"My music. It's the only thing I have real dignity in in my life. That's the one area in my life where I can hold my head up and say, "No one can touch me." 'Cos no one can touch me!"
 
"I don't ever want to do anything mediocre. I hear the music in the charts and I don't mean to be rude, but those people have no soul. Learning from music is like eating a meal - you have to pace yourself. You can't take everything from it all at once. I want to be different, definitely. I'm not a one trick pony. I'm at least a five-trick pony."
 
"I'm not religious at all. I think faith is something that gives you strength. I believe in fate and I believe that things happen for a reason but I don't think that there's a high power, necessarily. I believe in karma very much though."

"There are so many rude people around and they're the people that don't have any real friends. And relationships with people - with your mum, your nan, your dog - are what you get the most happiness in life from. Apart from shoes and bags. "
 
Her answer to the question "Are you going to turn into a diva?"---"I'm probably already one, if that means that you don't give a *** about people's opinions. I don't suffer fools gladly. I'm not here to make friends. I've learnt that the hard way - I used to not say things like "I really want to hold a guitar in my video", because I was trying to make everyone like me. But I don't give a *** now. At the end of the day I'm there to do my job, I'm not there to have picnics. So, if that's being a diva then yeah, I will be one."
 
"I don't listen to anyone except my ... inner child anyway."
 
"I say things in songs,I wouldn't even admit to myself,looking in the mirror"  

"Life happens. There is no point in being upset or down about things you can’t control or change."

"I'm not in this job to be a ****** role model."  

"I always said I never wanted to write about love, but then I went and did that anyway."  

"I write songs a lot when I can't get my head around a situation or I just can't get past it emotionally and then I write a song and I feel better because I've gotten something good out of something bad."  

" The minute I even start to think about what I'm doing I just lose it. I have to just shut my eyes and flow."

"If you don't throw yourself into something, you'll never know what you could have had."

Well, that's enough quotes for now, there was some other good ones but they were a bit head cracking for a Saturday afternoon.

Bye for now

Kerry :)

A Boro taxi driver who is a poet in his spare time? I like him already!

Duggy Verrill is fifty two years old and after trying out twenty nine different jobs (including being a toilet attendant and a court usher) he eventually became a taxi driver and has been for 17 years now. I was looking forward to having a read of his book because I'm used to reading poets like William Wordsworth and T.S Eliot and I gotta say...sometimes they can be right wafflers. Anyway...back to Duggy.  I've read the book in one sitting today and I was laughing out loud. I must  have looked a right pleb to passers-by sitting at the counter wearing my woolley hat and grinning away to myself. Ah well.

I don't think it would be the 'done thing' to quote Duggy's poetry word for word here, but I don't think he would mind if I copied a few verses - just to give you a glimpse of his work so that you can make your own mind up. If I'm honest, I don't feel that his website does his work justice as there is just one poem on it and you don't get a true feel about his voice as a poet, so when it came to reading his book I was surprised at how engaging it was, I couldn't put it down! He talks about real life, raw subjects such as death, love (inevitably going sour), ageing and what people really say when you try to strike up a conversation in a Middlesbrough park.

An extract from 'Albert Park':

I sat down on the first bench
A smart young lady was reading a book
I smiled, she gave me a nasty stare
She said 'piss off perve and sling yer hook'

[and...]

I strolled towards the fountain
Two Rotties were off the lead
After meeting Hitler's daughter
This is something I don't need

An extract from 'Bitter'  (which is all about love and how he is so proud
of the sexy lady on his arm...but then later...)

Hairs gone grey, wrinkly face
Figure only a dog would chase
Got the smell of stilton cheese
Plastic hip and wobbly knees

An extract from 'Suicide':

I put my head in the oven
I thought this can't be that hard
The gas stopped after a minute
There was nowt left on the card

Another one here is from his poem 'The Graveyard':

I started thinking of all my friends
Laying in their plots
And the money I'd have saved up on birthday cards
Adds up to quite a lot!

As well as being funny though, Duggy makes some really heartfelt points throughout the book, here is an extract from the poem 'Grace' which is about his friend who is in a wheelchair:

We bump into Joe he asks "is she alright?"
I say, "Ask her yourself Joe, she's really quite bright,
Just because she's sat in the chair
Doesn't mean she isn't all there"

There are so many more bits that I want to quote but I think I'll leave it there, otherwise I'll be practically typing the book out myself. Plus, just reading the extracts without knowing the context of the verse doesn't really do his work justice. I really enjoyed it though and I find his dark humour and dry wit appealing. Duggy Verrill is my kind of poet because he says what he feels, he isn't pretentious (or cheesy) and he mixes the dark and depressing stuff with humour and a good rhyme. I'm no literary critic by a long shot, but in my opinion this book is definitely worth buying. It is just £5.00 and for every book sold, £1 goes to the NSPCC! Good one that. Duggy has a website you can check out too, just click HERE. He will be publishing a new set of poems in the springtime.

Thanks for reading :)

Kerry x

You have a lovely romantic picture but there's some idiot pulling a moonie in the background. There's a picture of you all bronzed and beautiful in St. Tropez but you have a massive zit on your nose. You want a picture of you with all of your family, but your dad insists on pulling monkey faces and your siblings end up in a wrestling match when they all get together.  Fear not!

We can iron out all of this stuff (not literarily mind, sorry). You've heard of celebrities being air-brushed for magazine shots? Yah? Well, whether you agree with this technique or not, we do it. We can erase anything that you consider 'undesirable' and we can also add a few discrete things here and there (my lips are sealed about what we have 'tweaked' in the past though, I'm all about customer confidentiality). It's sods law that you have a great picture but there's something ridiculous spoiling the whole thing, like bird crap on your shoulder or a black bit on your front tooth.

Another service we offer is what I'll call the 'drama-free-group-shot' which translates to: If you want a picture of all of your loved ones together but can never seem to get them all in one room, we are able to incorporate separate images to make it look like a genuine picture. I'm not saying things should always be done this way...as you would miss out on some cool (and hilarious/traumatizing) experiences, but it's worth thinking about if you'd like to give someone a nice present. There is another variation of this, which is to add a loved one who has passed away into a recent family picture. Often when the customer comes in to collect the finished canvas, it's moving because they get emotional. If we ever get a crier in here, I end up in bits too. All happy tears mind.

We also specialise in restoring old or damaged pictures, so we're talking creases, scratches, that sort of thing...we (well, I say 'we' but really it's my boss who does all the work! I am simply the mouthpiece ha) can clean up anything so that it's as good as new.

That's all for today...have a good weekend!

Kerry x

Yes, it's all excellent while it's happening, but if your hangover is stretching into a third day  you are either old or you severely overdid it (both for me. Not only did I make an absolute moron of myself, but can remember all of about twelve hours from the whole festive period). I'm not writing this to make us all feel worse though, I am in fact going to try to make it all better. 

Okay...Here are ten reasons to feel great - no matter what happened over the last seven days 
(exceptions to be made if you lost any limbs - it's highly unlikely that a list of feel good factors will perk you up / you became bankrupt / or any other seriously shocking things. The following list may be of no help at all, apart from number 2 and the quote on number 10)

1. God. I've just realised I have ten positive statements to come up with and have gone blank. 

2. Okay...Here is one. At Redcar Urban Arts, we are doing a Buy One Get One Free offer on 10 x 10 canvases. This means, that for just twenty five pounds (the reason I typed out the whole number in text, is because for some stinking reason the pound sign doesn't work on this keyboard) you can get TWO canvases!! The only catch is, the offer stops at 30 people! To make this easier for you, you can tag an image from your facebook account to ours and we'll get it printed up for you within a couple of days. I'm sure you all have some cracking photos from over Christmas?! It's a good deal so grab it quick.

[That was supposed to be my grand finale of this post, but I got writers block. I really do want to share some feel good things too though...]

3. If the world is really going to end in 2012 - what's the point in worrying about anything AT ALL? Hell, let's all go mental! Who cares if you want to do your shopping naked or eat rice crispies all day? Tell people what you truly think about them and sing out loud to Jimmy Nails Crocodile Shoes. [If the world doesn't end, you may always be known as that freak that went mental back in 2012 - and you may have no friends left...but at least you were being true to yourself].

4. We have the new year to look forward to. I love a new year me. You can have a fresh start, set new goals and hibernate until spring time. Spring time is great. 

5. Now is a good time to think about where you might go on holiday. Even if you're short on cash there are some good alternatives such as camping, hitch-hiking around Europe, being a stowaway on a royal mail train or you could just become enlightened and travel far and wide in spiritual realms. The world's your oyster. (I actually don't get that? what does an oyster have to do with it? And why would you want to be trapped in a shell anyway? Answers most welcome).

6. All them smellies you got for Christmas? Pour the lot of them in the bath and get off your head. (Right, I'm clearly clutching at straws here. I think I need ten minutes and then I'll come back to it).

7. January. Do one crazy thing in the month of January. Why? Because it's dull and it'll inject a bit of je ne sais quoi back into your life. Me and my brother are thinking of re-creating a scene from Monty Pythons Holy Grail: you know the horse and the coconut thing? We might do that through the town one day. I'll let you know if we come up with something better. 

8. Look back over the past year and think about all the cool things that have happened. Yeah, I'm sure we all cringe at a few unsavoury situations we've been in, but what's wrong with giving yourself a pat on the back for all the things that DID go well? If nothing else, a few lessons have been learned, you're older and wiser and you can do everything better this time around. 

9. Festivals! Yep, we have summer to look forward to all over again. I have a confession. I ran out of 'feel-good' things and googled 'what to look forward to in 2012' and festivals was one of them. I wonder if they'll be doing Redcar Rocks again this year? It would be brilliant if they brought that tomato throwing one they have in Spain to Redcar High Street!

10. You're going to see some cool changes to Redcar Urban Arts in the new year, but more on that later! (this wasn't a cop out, there really is going to be some good things happening) but just to leave you with one final thought of goodness for the day: "Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive."- Elbert Hubbard 

Happy New Year to you all and I hope that 2012 is a good one for you. Oh, one more thing, if you don't want to tag your picture to our page, you can email it to  urbanarts@virginmedia.com 


Kerry x

Okay, so today's blog post is about dogs and is inspired by my bosses dog, Boo (named after Boudicca, who was the Queen of the Iceni people of Eastern England in Roman times and was of a strong and noble character). She is a bluey-grey coloured staffy and is about two years old.

Some cool things to note about Boo:

If you put a keyboard under her paws when she gets excited she could easily play a tune. She can jump as high as a salmon out of water but you wouldn't believe this unless you saw it with your own eyes, she just springs into the air...at least five times higher than her own height! Crazy. Change isn't Boo's favourite thing, even a seemingly small change such as the sandwich board being moved to a different spot. How do we know she doesn't like this? Well, she won't go near it and hardly leaves her bed. She's not overly fond of loud noises (is this a dog thing in general though?) and another thing, you can actually see the emotions in her face. She frowns and smiles. My own family dog, Dennis (a Yorkshire Terrier) can laugh and if you ever catch him 'at it' with one of his teddies, he looks mortified! Perhaps it's not that much of a mad thing that dogs have expressions though? Maybe it's just me who thinks it's amazing. While I'm on the whole dog/human thing - did you know that over the years, dogs have evolved to look more human? By this I mean that the iris has gradually shrunk so that more white is on show, thus making a more human looking eyeball. It's true.

Back to Boo though. One day, a while back, I'd bought myself a colourful new scarf to celebrate being alive. When I walked into work wearing it, all cheery and at one with the world, Boo came bounding over...jumped up and grabbed the end of the scarf then started yanking at it, clearly having a great time...whilst I was choking. Ironic eh?

Anyway. I love Boo. She gives proper hugs and snuggles right into your neck...excellent on a baltic winters day! I look forward to coming into the shop to see her. We have loads of dog loving customers and a canny few of them get canvas prints of their pets too. Sadly, more often than not it is when they have passed away :-/ Maybe we could start a new trend of getting your dog on canvas before they cop it? ha. Just saying.

Anyway, here are some interesting facts about dogs in general:

1. The first dogs were self-domesticated wolves which, at least 12,000 years ago, became attracted to the first sites of permanent human habitation.

2. The Basenji is the world’s only barkless dog.

3. The smallest dog on record was a matchbox-size Yorkshire Terrier. It was 2.5" tall at the shoulder, 3.5" from nose tip to tail, and weighed only 4 ounces.

4. There are an estimated 400 million dogs in the world.

5. It is much easier for dogs to learn spoken commands if they are given in conjunction with hand signals or gestures.

6. Zorba, an English mastiff, is the biggest dog ever recorded. He weighed 343 pounds and measured 8' 3" from his nose to his tail.

7. Different smells in the a dog’s urine can tell other dogs whether the dog leaving the message is female or male, old or young, sick or healthy, happy or angry.

8. Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures.

9. 70% of people sign their pet's name on greeting and holiday cards.

10.  An elderly woman was saved by her 12-pound Yorkshire Terrier who fought off an 80-pound Akita and survived with only 9 stitches.

I'll leave the facts at ten, but let's take a moment to reflect on how cool dogs are [1 minute reflection]. Another thing though, although I do like dogs, I would still have a panic attack if I saw a big strange dog running towards me on a field/beach and I was on my own. So have a care for the sensitive souls out there while you're walking and if your dog has an attitude, keep it on a lead won't ya? Oh, cat's are cool too by the way!

Kerry x

The other night I was wrapped up warm in bed and got to wondering about the homeless people out on the streets at this time of year. I get annoyed when I can't get my pillows 'just right'. Imagine having to sit on an ice cold bench or pavement all night? I'm not saying this to induce guilty feelings though...I'll come to my point soon.
 
After one of my classes the next day, I came downstairs and noticed a big stall set up with loads of leaflets. Being nosy as usual, I walked over and started chatting. They were promoting a local service called Nightstop. In a nutshell - these people organise emergency accommodation for homeless, vulnerable young people aged 16-25 for up to three nights at a time. There are trained 'host' volunteers who offer a room in their own home, a hot meal, a friendly chat and safety.
 
I wondered how it would go down with my two housemates and landlord if I did this. Then remembered there is only a tiny settee on offer and we wear five layers of clothing around the house rather than switch the central heating on. So, that idea was out the window.
 
HOWEVER...
 
A more feasible (and landlord-friendly) way to help, is to donate clothing and toiletries. Imagine not being able to brush your teeth? Wash your hair? Now imagine how good it would feel to be welcomed into a warm friendly home after being hungry and cold for days...
 
When I finished chatting with these nice people, I went and bought some toothpaste, toothbrush, a toothbrush case (cool invention) and some shampoo then handed them in. It's not a totally selfless thing to do (and I'm no Mother Teresa by a long shot) as I got a buzz from feeling like I had done a good deed. It's nice to know you might have made someones life a little bit easier.
 
To put this into a more personal context, Kris, my colleague at the shop shared his own experience. At seventeen, he found himself homeless and there was only so many times he could rely on friends. Consider also, the fact that his self-esteem must have taken a battering to be in a situation where he felt so dependent on others his own age. Kris came to a point where he really needed help and was referred to Nightstop.   That same day, he had a meeting with one of their volunteers so that they could determine how best to help him [note: If the young person is a drug user or is having problems with alcohol abuse, they are signposted to experts who can deal with their specific needs]. In Kris's case [not having those issues, but being homeless nevertheless], a taxi came to collect him later that day and took him to his temporary home. He said that although he felt nervous, the host was friendly and welcoming - showing him around her house, making him a cup of tea, providing food and chatting with him. When it came to using the bathroom though, Kris said "If I'm staying in someones home, I'd feel bad using their things, so to be given a welcome bag made me feel loads better".
 
This 'welcome bag' is what is put together from all those donations. Even if you just donated some deodorant or some socks or gloves, it's all good. Every little helps! I must admit, I was suprised when Kris told me that he had used Nightstop himself. Kris is now a full time apprentice, doing a job he loves and has a flat. He had nothing but good things to say about the service and said "It put me back on my feet".
 
If you would like to make a donation (clothes, hats, toiletries etc) then you could take it to Nightstop, 17 Queen Street, Redcar or alternatively, drop it off in the shop and I could arrange for it to be collected. If you want to take this a step further, other options are:
 
-Volunteering
-Becoming a host
-Driving
-Befrienders
-Collecting and organising toiletries yourself
-Making a one-off/regular donation
-Taking a money box to use on behalf of Nightstop
-Arranging for a member of Nightstop to give a presentation at your workplace
 
Well, I think that covers most of what I had to say. It's Christmas people...and it's effing cold out there.
 
Kerry x

Andi is one of our regular customers and is a talented musician who sings and writes his own songs. As well as playing keyboard for well known local band Raging Jupiter, he is also successful in his own right, having been invited to the Phoenix Festival in Daventry this year to be the acoustic head-liner. He has played at Redcar Rocks which held it's first festival this year and is a regular at the Clevey Open Mic Night in Redcar on a Sunday. Andi was game enough to be my first ever (proper) interviewee :) So, without further ado...

Can you tell me about your music?
I play acoustic singer-song-writey stuff and all my music is based on emotions. Things that have gone on in my life, past relationships, depression. Vocals are the main focus and the guitar backs this up, rather than the other way around. For instance, Angel is heavy on lyrics. 

Tell me more about your lyrics?
I used to write a lot of poetry. People can relate to my lyrics I think. They are about the human experiences that most of us have. They're quite raw songs. 

What instruments do you play?
I play the keyboard, guitar, harmonica, drums, cello, violin, xylophone and the trumpet...but only one note on that. Oh, I also won a fiver bet for being able to play the didgeridoo. 

When did you first get into music?
I was seven years old when I had my first keyboard lesson off my granddad (but there is a video of me singing as young as two!) My granddad had the keyboard set up at his house and I used to play for hours. I was sixteen when I first started to play the guitar. Rather than strumming it though, I found I was picking out the chords because of all the keyboard training I'd had. It's a good thing though as it creates a unique sound. 

How about your first time on stage?
My first time on stage was at Primrose Valley in front of three thousand people. I was eight years old and it was a talent contest. I got the loudest clap from the audience, but unfortunately I lost to a fourteen year old girl! It was the buzz from that show that gave me the motivation to carry on with performing in front of a crowd. 

How do you feel before you get up on stage? Do you have any rituals?
I get excited about half an hour before going on stage. My ritual is usually to have a glass of lemonade and a Vocal Zone singing lozenge. I take them for when I do the falsetto stuff as my throat gets raspy if I don't. 

What do you get most out of performing?
I love the intimacy of just being on stage...me and my guitar. I also love being part of the band too, as you get that energy from being on stage with a group. I'd want to do small, intimate gigs if I become famous. 'Solo acoustic guy' doesn't work on a large scale. I'd much prefer to do it my own way with a stripped down sound. 

What's your favourite song to perform?
Creep by Radiohead. Even though I can't do bar chords, it still sounds good because I bring my own style to it. I use the bossa nova up strokes [I looked this up and it's a Brazilian style of music and just in case you're interested, the 'bossa' bit means to do something with particular charm and natural flair]. I think the way I play it suits my voice. I like doing my own songs too, obviously, especially Happy. 

What's your favourite cereal?
That would be Cinnamon Grahams. They used to be called Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Curious Cinnamon or something. Basically, I like my cereal with cinnamon in it. 

Best motto for life?
The most important thing is to be happy and to enjoy it. 

What are your ambitions?
I want the band [Raging Jupiter] to go far, but ultimately, my solo stuff is where my heart lies. I've got a load of ideas but I don't want to go into detail in case someone steals them. [He tells me and yes, stealable. It's a good job I'm an honourable character].

Best thing about Redcar?
The Clevey Open Mic Night on a Sunday. The people of Redcar in general...they are different from everywhere else. They actually give a damn about others. 

So, got any spooky experiences you'd like to share?
The number 1139 haunted me. It was the exact time that I met the love of my life. After that, whenever I looked at clocks, phones - anything that showed the time, it was 1139. Just after the festival in Daventry, dad was driving me back up north and as we were driving over a bridge, the bonnet flipped up and smashed the windscreen. We could have gone off the side of the bridge but luckily dad managed to stop us. When I managed to make a call to the AA, they said that the nearest junction was 1,139 metres away. 1139 seemed to follow me from the age of seventeen! It stopped after the car accident.

Any interesting ancestors?
Florence Nightingale. [Florence Nightingale??] Yep, my grandads, mothers, mothers cousin was Florence Nightingale. 

Any quirky talents?
I can lick my elbow.
[I can't]

Anything else you would like to share?
I'm recording an EP soon. It's going to be called 'Twenty Three Years of Experience'. [He will be recording this before he hits twenty four. Check out his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/andigraingermusic.]

By Kerry :)

Something a bit different! Local photographer Mark Parham and his assistant Rachael Ward are in the process of creating a photographic documentary called The Everyday Olympian. The concept is based on 'everyday' people who go and swim in an Olympic sized swimming pool (50 metres - yep, I googled to check) that was specifically built for international teams to train in ready for 2012. The idea is that these guys are unsung heroes. Some of the swimmers are over 80, some are big, some small, some disabled, some young, some with children etc. The documentary will be exploring an 'alternative Olympic narrative' by questioning our perception of physical perfection and also looking at the theme of isolation and vulnerability. Here is one of the swimmers quotes from the website: “When you swim, you feel your body for what it mostly is, water and your body begins to move with the water around it. Swimming is not an activity where the surroundings disappear; it is an activity where the environment is the focus, the corporeal sensations of it all-encompassing. It is also an environment in which swimmers are isolated and alone”.

Cool eh? I'm sure some of their stories are interesting. For instance, what motivates them to swim every day? what do they think about while they're doing it? How many bathing costumes do they own? Have they ever applied to be in the real Olympic team? if not why not?I'd love to interview them. Check the website out, some really interesting characters. There is also a facebook page, why not offer your feedback to the project? 


Kerry :)

Good news for Amelia Lily and for us! We had printed up a load of tops for the Fuzion Performing Arts school, with Amelia's picture on the front just before she was voted out of the X-Factor show a few weeks back. Amelia has been part of the Fuzion group in Berwick Hills for eight years and the pupils were keen to show their support by wearing the custom made tshirts. I reckon they would have kept wearing them no matter what the outcome, but now she's back in with a chance of winning the show, even better! Here is a recent picture of the group from the Evening Gazette - all wearing Redcar Urban Arts designed threads :-)