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.
February 20, 2023

AI-Generated Art Personifies Countries as Different Women Across the Globe

Artificial intelligence (AI) learns from us, so what type of associations does it make based on its machine learning? An artist named Alexa, aka Crypto Tea, used AI to generate different countries reimagined as women. After inputting some text, the technology created a variety of stylized portraits of ladies adorned with the stereotypical characteristics of the countries.

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February 12, 2023

16 Black-Owned Businesses Selling Creative Products to Support

We are well into February, which is also Black History Month in the United States. There are plenty of ways to support the black community right now and throughout the year. Whether you're donating, self-educating, or spreading knowledge by sharing resources with others via social, there's one direct way to play a positive role—shopping at Black-owned business. Supporting Black-owned businesses is a win-win for everyone.

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February 9, 2023

This Mind-Bending “Invisible Man” Costume Is the Clever Creation of a Mom on a $15-Budget

Illusions can be tricky to pull off. Optical illusions on a moving body are even more challenging and a true feat when done right. Kim Gardiner achieved this accomplishment during Halloween 2022 when she crafted a costume for her son Cole. His ensemble was a mind-bending “invisible man” that makes it look like there was a hidden human walking around.

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February 8, 2023

Try Your Hand at Beautiful Lettering With These Drawing Supplies

Want to try your hand at some lettering? Hand lettering is a great way to express yourself through written word. If it’s something on your creative bucket list, let Danison Fronda help you cross it off. He teaches an online course called Write Out Your Future: Hand Letter an Inspiring Phrase in which he shares the basics of hand lettering and how to cultivate your own style.

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