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.
Art
January 18, 2017

31 Artists Who Transform Ordinary Paper Into Astonishing Works of Art

Paper is one of the great artistic chameleons. This easily accessible material that’s used in crafting incredible, gallery-worthy works of art is the same that contains crude sketchbook doodles never meant to see the light of day. It’s this fascinating dichotomy that entices creatives to experiment and use paper art as the centerpiece of their work. Depending on technique, paper can look wildly different.

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Architecture
January 13, 2017

Illustrations of Fantastical Homes for Beloved Fairy Tale Characters

When two seemingly disparate subjects come together, they can produce a visual enchantment we would've never imagined otherwise. Illustrator Federico Babina is known for his creative mashups like Archilife, which paired movie stars with homes designed by famous architects. He’s recently unveiled his latest series called Architale that’s in the same vein—this time, it focuses on fairy tale architecture.

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History
January 11, 2017

Behind-the-Scenes GIFs Reveal How Special Effects Were Done in Silent Films

Long before CGI and the green screen, silent filmmakers were incorporating astounding visual effects into their work. These ingenious techniques didn’t rely on digital tools, as there were none at the time. Instead, to surprise and delight viewers, silent film effects used elements like trick perspective, hidden pulleys, and filter adjustments to make the magic happen. Redditor Auir2blaze compiled some of these effects into a post on Imgur and then explained how exactly they were done.

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Funny
January 9, 2017

12 Witty Illustrators You Can Count on When You Need to Smile

The daily news is a reminder that the world can be a grim place. We all need a break every once and awhile—like having ourselves a much-needed laugh. Luckily, there are witty illustrators whose imaginative drawings never fail to make us chortle, or at the very least, crack a smile. The approach of these artists might be different, but the effect is always the same. For a moment, we’re transported to their world.

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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.