Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
Funny
December 8, 2025

This Jokester Horse “Plays Dead” Whenever Someone Tries To Ride Him

You may have heard of possums “playing dead,” but what about a horse? Yes, it turns out that these creatures are known to do the same thing. But rather than involuntarily fainting, as possums do, horses are using it as a way to avoid responsibilities. (Maybe we can learn a thing or two). One funny video shows a horse named Jingang pulling off a clever-to-him ruse: collapsing while people are trying to ride him.

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Illustration
November 25, 2025

Beautifully Haunting Film Poster for Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’

Director Guillermo del Toro and illustrator James Jean have developed a creative partnership that fuses each of their unique visions. For nearly a decade, del Toro has tapped Jean to design posters for his films, beginning with The Shape of Water in 2017. In 2022, it continued with Pinocchio. Now, the director and illustrator—both juggernauts in their respective industries—are reuniting for another film poster. This time, it’s for del Toro’s Frankenstein.

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Nature
November 21, 2025

Biologists Overcome With Emotion After Finding Rare Flower Blooming in Indonesian Rainforest

It was a moment when a dream came true. After a long trek through a tiger-patrolled Sumatran rainforest (an island in Indonesia), Dr. Chris Thorogood and his team found Rafflesia hasseltii, a plant that’s been “seen by more tigers than people.” And even luckier for them, the rare plant, nicknamed the “Tiger-faced Mushroom,” was in the midst of blooming—something that takes up to nine months to develop and is only open for a few days.

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Art
November 19, 2025

Gustav Klimt Painting Sells for $236M, Making It the Highest Price for Modern Art Sold at Auction

Artist Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer made history on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. The 20th-century painting sold for $236.4 million at Sotheby’s auction after 20 minutes of bidding. This shatters Klimt’s previous auction record, and the price makes it one of the most valuable portraits in modern art. It also holds the distinction of being the second most expensive artwork ever sold at auction.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.