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.
Creative Products
December 27, 2017

Ingenious Coffee Mugs Save Artists From Accidentally Drinking Their Paint Water

Artists, how many times have you almost ingested your gunky paint water thinking it was your afternoon tea? It’s an unwelcome surprise, but one that doesn’t have to happen anymore—thanks to illustrator Hallie Bateman. She’s created a handy set of mugs labeled “paint water” and “not paint water” so that you’ll never make the mistake again. Bateman’s funny coffee mugs prove that sometimes, art imitates life.

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Sculpture
December 21, 2017

Artist Imprints Cupped Hands Into Clay Bricks as Unique Memorial to Father

The act of touching is intimately connected to the artistic process of Dan Stockholm. This is exemplified in his piece called By Hand, a site-specific installation that features a collection of red clay bricks that each have impressions of his cupped hands. Each slab varies in how much it reveals of Stockholm’s body; some feature both his hands, creases and all. Others are more demure, and they show just a finger or two.

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Style
December 15, 2017

You’ll Always Have Paris When You Wear This Stylish Map Necklace

The famous line, “We’ll always have Paris,” is iconic for more than its inclusion in the classic film Casablanca. It also captures the feeling that you have after visiting the City of Light—that the memories made there will sustain you long after you've left its historic streets. There are many ways to remember these special experiences, and they don't have to involve snapping a photo.

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Animals
December 13, 2017

Iconic Album Covers Are Absolutely Adorable When Replaced with Kittens

Is everything better with cats? We can never be completely sure, but we do know one thing—they can make anything a whole lot cuter. Alfra Martini proves this in a delightful Tumblr called The Kitten Covers. There, she transforms iconic albums by replacing the subjects on the cover—always humans—with adorable kitties. Martini finds an array of albums that span genres and generations.

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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.