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.
History
July 3, 2019

Mesmerizing Chinese Tea Ceremony Combines Kung Fu Moves with a Long-Spouted Teapot

There is an art to tea. You might imagine this artistry as being expressed in the blend of the leaves or through the tools in which a cup of it is prepared, but in the Sichuan province of China, there is a performative aspect to enjoying the drink that fuses it with martial art moves. Called kung fu tea or long spout tea performance, it incorporates these movements into how the tea is poured.

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Art
June 21, 2019

How Artists Use Negative Space to Say a Lot with Nothing

There’s never a positive without a negative, and the same can be said in art. Positive space and negative space work together to achieve balance in a composition. Without them, a work might overwhelm the eye or not activate the layout at all (how dull!). To ensure that a drawing or painting is in equilibrium, you must always remember to plan the areas of negative space as much as you do the active space.

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Creative Products
June 18, 2019

15+ Creative Collectible Figurines That’ll Inspire You to Dress Up Your Desk

As a kid, chances are that you had a beloved toy or action figure you spent hours playing with. Well, the fun doesn’t have to stop because you're grown up. Companies are now creating vinyl toys and wooden characters with adults in mind. They offer an ideal way to display your passion, connect with a person who inspires you, and to dress up your desk. Need some help finding a collectible figurine?

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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.