West Sands as a Canvas: St Andrews’ Unofficial Beach Art Society

As I walked down the stairs leading from Saints Sizzle to the shore, I felt Storm Amy’s wind whip off the sea. Turning the corner towards West Sands, I saw the beach transformed with drawings of sailboats, aliens, and the sun. Bundled students dotted the beach with windswept hair, some chasing after their hats. Still, I heard laughter and music coming from the beach. People held rakes, dancing around a speaker, their cups filled with Pimm’s. The beach had become a canvas for both the drawings and the play that was taking place.

This was the second meeting of the unofficial St Andrews Beach Sand Art Society. The ‘society’ was founded by Molly Clements, a third-year student, encouraged by her dad, Mike. “When he moved me in, on the pier walk, he wrote in the sand, ‘Hi Molly!’” she explained. “All the kids could see, and I could just hear people going, ‘Who’s Molly?’ But from there, we got the idea, and he was always talking about how fun it would be to get the rakes out.” 

It figures that they had the idea for this society together. What I remember about Mike’s home in Venice, California, are bookshelves to the ceiling, a work table with stones colourfully painted with eyes and patterns (if you’re lucky, he’ll give you one), and a hogtied Snoopy plush hanging over the stairs. He has a keen eye for design, but with playfulness and whimsy. “He loves stuff, like, twinged with humour,” said Molly. This trait has definitely been passed to her as she creates her own art. A fitting example is her highly desired fish-shaped bags, which her friends proudly wear around town. 

Though they had the idea on her first move-in day, the first meeting of the ‘society’ wasn’t until another visit from Mike in Molly’s second year. “I think when I was adjusting as a first year, I didn't feel confident enough to start a new society,” she said. “And then he finally got around to visiting me last year, second year. At that point, I was comfortable enough in my friendships, and that the people I was surrounded with would be able to both laugh at it, but also embrace it and find it fun.” 

The first meeting took place on a sunny spring day with the tide low enough to fit plenty of designs. Molly went to Home Improvements to buy rakes, Mike made his signature Pimm’s recipe, and they set up a speaker on West Sands. He also unveiled a surprise — plastic cups with a custom logo he had designed for the new society. Their excitement radiated, and people embraced it, using rakes to cover the sand in patterns, words, and figures. “They were so excited about it, it was so sweet,” said third year Lola MacKenzie. “It’s easy, and everyone was creating something. It made me want to, too.” She drew a minion. 

The attendees left the first meeting beaming and giddy. The drawings had people stopping at the overlook to take photos and approaching the sand artists to ask what was going on. “I feel like it was one of my happiest days ever,” Molly said. “[My dad] has described it as that to me, too.” It was only natural that the ‘society’ would want another meeting. “We honestly had to just honour his work and dedication to the first one. So we obviously had to replicate it,” said third year Tabor Dempsey. Even with Mike gone, they took the rakes, made a pitcher of Pimm’s, and faced the October weather. “It was so windy, and I still was walking back thinking, like, ‘this was so awesome,’” Molly said. “It’s actually therapeutic to start taking up the rake.”

It’s rare to be the type of person who would see West Sands as a blank canvas and to realise that vision with such enthusiasm. It’s rarer still to be surrounded by people who would embrace it out of love for art and the beach, but also for their friend and her dad. Though the wind and tide washed away the drawings, the joy of the experience lingers on.

Photos by Molly Clements