After a much needed vacation, I have returned to tell the tale of summer art adventures starting with my job installing decor for the Mysteryland Festival at Bethel Woods with the Winkel & Balktick crew. Days prior to the Memorial Day weekend, our crew piled into a technicolor R.V. and road up to the lush upstate festival grounds, home to the original Woodstock gathering in 1969. Winkel and Balktick designed an environment called “Birdhuisje" (an audubon homage to the festival's Dutch origin), with life size books and birdhouses for the festival goers to explore.
During the Mysteryland install there was heavy rain that caused mud so strong it could easily suck a more fashionable boot right off your foot. Our days were spent hauling, building, painting, decorating, hitching rides on crew golf carts, exploring art installations, sleeping in a tent with a bed and electricity, and eating 3 healthy catered meals a day. I love the Dutch belief in social services, it makes the hard work extra fabulous!!! Once the party started, we had to do our finishing touches amidst some of the loudest techno music on earth. My favorite part of working at Mysteryland was exploring the festival grounds while the event site was still closed to the public and watching the installations being built. I am so grateful for this festival experience that aligned with my intentions to travel more doing art-based work :)
Every summer, thousands of decked out sirens, pirates, and sea creatures hit the streets of NYC to celebrate the annual Coney Island Mermaid Day Parade. It is one of my most beloved holidays of the year. In the days leading up to the parade, I work around the clock on my costume: new jewelry, headpiece, bag, and sparkle bra. My apartment becomes joyously covered in layers of blue glitter, sequins, jewels and shells. Many of my closest friends are also kindred fairy mermaids. On this day we all dressed up in glorious celebration of summer, the spirits of the sea, art, and enchantment. <3
Mermaid Day Costume Design by Sarah Sparkles 2014
This summer in between trips to the beach and the woods, I birthed a 2014 Mermaid jewelry collection and put it up on my new and improved etsy store. The Sparkles Etsy is the one stop shop for stone & crystal mermaid jewelry, Vintage Glamor feather hair accessories, and signed copies of Parades, Parties, and Protests.
The past few months have been a time of regeneration after finishing
writing a book, followed by six hardcore fantastic months building out the
set of Queen of the Night. This summer I enjoyed quality time with friends and family, partying it up at festivals, swimming, beach, mountains, and luxurious amounts of sleep. I craved more quiet and open space to be
intuitive about whats calling me. Now the Fall is just around the corners. This week I start holiday window production at Bergdorf, (Yes Christmas in August), and next week is Fashion Week Windows. The upcoming season I will be juggling projects in props, windows, theater, film, and high-end events. I'm ever grateful for my rejuvenating mermaid summer vacation, and for the dynamic fall art season that is to come.
