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.
September 23, 2015

Gigantic Wooden Megaphones Amplify the Quiet Sounds of a Natural Forest

On display in an Estonian forest near Tallinn is ruup, an installation of three gigantic wooden megaphones that amplify the typically-quiet sounds of nature. The project was created by interior architecture students at the Estonian Academy of the Arts, and it's intended as a site of relaxation. Here, visitors can enjoy the symphony of the forest–faintly chirping birds, rustling leaves, and babbling brooks are now within earshot.

Read Article


September 15, 2015

Everyday Objects Whimsically Recreated with Unexpected Materials

Photographer and art director Vanessa McKeown reimagines everyday objects in delightfully colorful and quirky new ways. Fruits, vegetables, cakes, and candies have been constructed with unexpected materials that mimic their forms and reveal amusing surprises in every image. Balloons take on the shapes of grapes and tomatoes, while the inside of an orange is replaced with a miniature soccer ball. These clever-yet-unusual associations are a lighthearted way to show the brilliance of simplicity.

Read Article


September 10, 2015

Four Horsemen Sculptures Fully Submerge in the River Thames During High Tide

Renowned British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor has recently brought the four horsemen of the industrial apocalypse to London, via his installation called The Rising Tide. The site-specific work features life-sized figures perched on the backs of horses, their eyes closed as they gaze out towards the Thames river bed. Their presence highlights the waterway's role in London, first as a place for commerce, trade, industry, and more recently, as a tourist attraction.

Read Article


September 3, 2015

Ethereal Wire Mesh Sculpture Towers Over an Italian Landscape Like a Fading Memory

Sculptor Edoardo Tresoldi is known for crafting stunningly life-like figures with sheets of wire mesh. Using these same skills, the artist has created Incipit, a towering installation that recently appeared at the Meeting del Mare in Camerota, Italy. The architecturally-inspired work features gigantic arched passageways with a flock of birds surrounding its peak. Tresoldi's use of the gridded material gives the piece a distinctive presence.

Read Article