Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
Painting
December 9, 2019

Surreal Brushstroke Painting Imagines a Future Where Nature Takes Back Control

Artist David Ambarzumjan ruminates on our world through his ongoing collection of surreal paintings called Brushstrokes in Time. The beguiling works of art feature past and present landscapes that are interrupted by tactile strokes of paint, which themselves have their own scenes within them. The strokes sometimes match the era they juxtapose while other times they represent many years in either direction.

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Animals
December 3, 2019

Adorable Litter of Maine Coon Kittens Look Like a Tiny Gang of Grumpy Old Men

The Maine Coon cat breed has earned the nickname “gentle giant” for their large stature and playful personalities, but take one look at this litter of newborns and you might think differently. Tatyana Rastorgueva, who runs, Casvill County House of Cats where the kittens were born, recently shared photos of the group of young Maine Coons whose tiny faces could double as grumpy old men. The five gray babies have characteristics of curmudgeonly people—including furrowed brows and upturned lips.

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Painting
November 18, 2019

Mesmerizing Kinetic Art Reveals Two Completely Different Portraits in a Single Painting

Self-taught artist Sergi Cadenas reveals two distinct portraits in a single painting. The incredible, transformative art changes as you walk from either side of it by gradually shifting faces as you do so. In one piece, Marilyn Monroe turns into Albert Einstein while another painting showcases a young woman aging many decades into an older version of herself.

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Drawing
November 12, 2019

Cartoonist Shares Funny “Spoilers” of Some of Classic Literature’s Most Celebrated Tales

Cartoonist John Atkinson of Wrong Hands has a playful way of describing some of literature’s most celebrated works. Known for his Abridged Classics series, he shares humorous “spoilers” of novels including The Catcher in the Rye and 1984. His very brief reports of the books are pared down to their most basic and boast a biting, dry wit.

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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.