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.
Paper Art
August 22, 2022

Illuminated Cut Paper Landscapes Encapsulate Enchanting Worlds in Glass Vessels

Japanese artist Ayumi Shibata creates delicate vistas in glass vessels. Featuring cut paper architecture and foliage, the illuminated pitchers cast an enchanting glow that transports us to another world. All of the elements are cut from white paper, so we can see every tiny shape, from tree branches to embellishment on the buildings. And by using slightly translucent paper, each layer of the artwork is visible and adds depth to the pieces.

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Pen Drawing
August 18, 2022

Artist Celebrates the Perfection of Nature Through Meticulous Geometric Drawings

Artist Rafael Araujo expresses his love of nature through geometry. Incorporating the golden spiral and helixes into his compositions, he uses these concepts as the basis for shells and kaleidoscopes of butterflies. The results are drawings in which the natural elements are sketched and colored in while the geometric guiding lines are left on the page.

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Video
August 9, 2022

YouTuber Scours Unclaimed Baggage Store To Reunite Travelers With Their Lost Luggage

Losing luggage is, at best, annoying; and at worst, tragic. Having anything disappear is a crummy feeling, and one YouTuber has tried to lessen the blow by reuniting owners with their lost items. In a video titled I Bought LOST LUGGAGE and RETURNED IT to the Owner, Hope Allen, aka HopeScope, searches through a trove of abandoned objects to try and find beloved lost things.

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Embroidery
August 2, 2022

Embroidery Artist Puts a Twist on Her Hoop Art by Stitching Fabric Photographs

There are endless creative possibilities with embroidery—it's not just a needle and thread. Floor Giebels, aka Full Metal Needle, is one artist who goes beyond the traditions of the craft by incorporating photography into her hoop art. Her pieces feature figures with their backs turned towards the camera, looking out at picturesque landscapes. Areas including the ocean, grassy fields, and forests remain as printed images while the characters are enhanced with stitching.

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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.