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.
Animals
June 18, 2018

Adorable Fat Cat Invades the Most Famous Paintings in Art History

Artist Svetlana Petrova finds a creative muse (or “mews”) in her ginger cat, Zarathustra, and the adorable fat feline has made its way into some of the most well-known works of art history. With crazed cat eyes, a fluffy belly, and a penchant for flowers, the creature seamlessly invades paintings to add his own dose of beauty while giving new meaning to them.

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Landscape Photography
June 11, 2018

Interview: A Photographer’s Quest to Document the Oldest Trees Around the World

There are some trees whose existence span hundreds, if not thousands, of years. For over a decade, photographer Beth Moon has made it her mission to document the biggest, oldest, and rarest of the bunch. Using that criteria as her guide, it led her on a journey around the world. Crossing desolate mountainsides, private estates, and protected lands, she found these gentle giants and photographed them in majestic portraits.

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Creative Products
June 6, 2018

Artist “Wipes Off” Makeup From Mass-Produced Dolls to Reveal Super Realistic Faces

Artist Olga Kamenetskaya transforms overly made-up dolls into realistic figures that represent beauty in “flaws.” She wipes the exaggerated eyeliner, blush, and eyeshadow off their faces, creating a literal clean slate for their stunning metamorphosis. Kamenetskaya then tweaks their proportions—like drawing smaller eyes—and breathes new life into them with delicate strokes of a paintbrush. When complete, they have freckles and wrinkles just like the rest of us.

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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.