Sandy Brown art breathes new life into community venue

Art in the community does wonders, especially when that artist is from the area. And especially when that local artist is internationally renown. It adds a kinda buoyancy, plus confidence. And when that artist is North Devon’s Sandy Brown, you know it’s going to be eye-popping, too.

Combine that with the artwork from the local, international artists being used to engage and inspirate a local social / sports type environment.

Appledore Social Club Skittle Alley

That’s exactly what’s been happening in North Devon, with artist Sandy Brown and the Skittle Alley of the Appledore Social Club.

We spoke to Sandy about her work at the White Moose Gallery last year, ahead of her show in Germany.

Over the years the Skittle Alley of the Appledore Social Club had become underused and dull. The club’s volunteer committee have an ongoing initiative to upgrade the building so they turned to Sandy through committee member Martyn Gibbett.

Buckets of colour

In her characteristic style Sandy set to with buckets of colour, bottles of paint, long brushes on poles, and had a lot of fun along the way.

She is known for her exuberant use of colour in ceramic sculptures and paintings, is sold in top galleries around the world, has been commissioned by Sothebys with patrons including Tony Blair and is an Invited Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Sandy told ArtsCulture: “This was the first time I have painted an existing space, walls and ceiling too!

“The artwork is full of life, bursting with colour, with dots, splashes, blobs and big circles.”

Artist Sandy Brown is flanked by three members of the Appledore skittle team, three on each side at the end of the alley decorated with her art work — Sandy Brown surrounded by the skittle team at the Appledore Social Club and Skittle Alley

The first game took place when home-based league Division 2 team The Dores played a League Cup match with visitors the Newton Hopefuls.

Both teams welcomed the colourful installation saying that they were amazed with the artwork commenting that it lifted their game and put strike rate up, thus reducing the need for heating.

Fellow local artist Danny Kay, a member of The Dores team said: “What with the dreary weather and the cloud of the loss of the Babcock shipyard’s 200 jobs this is just the tonic we need locally to transform that mindset into something much more positive and forward looking.

“Sandy seems to have definitely banished the Brexit Blues and brought some new creative energy and colour into a valued community space.”