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.
Sculpture
December 9, 2021

Dramatic Diorama Reveals What “Really” Made the Titanic Sink

Dedicated DIYer Boiz Smith creates dramatic dioramas that reimagine historical events with a fantastical twist. His latest piece is a retelling of the infamous 1912 sinking of the Titanic. History knows that the ship crashed into an iceberg, but Smith imagines that a giant sea monster (Godzilla) had its way with it instead. Smith sets the scene in a diorama made using polymer clay and epoxy resin, among other materials.

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Painting
December 3, 2021

Photorealistic Water Paintings Perfectly Portray People Submerged in Swimming Pools

Of the many subjects that an artist can paint, water is one of the most challenging. The liquid has a way of fracturing light and distorting anything submerged within it—especially people. This can make it hard to accurately depict anything in the water, but not for artist Johannes Wessmark. He's a master at painting people floating in the water.

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TV
November 16, 2021

Sesame Street Welcomes Its First Asian American Muppet to the Neighborhood

The beloved children’s show Sesame Street is welcoming a new neighbor. Ji-Young is a Muppet resident joining the neighborhood—the first Asian American puppet to do so in the show’s 52 years. She is a 7-year-old Korean American girl who loves to play her eclectic guitar and skateboard, and she lives with her parents, siblings, and grandma (known as halmeoni in Korean). Ji-Young’s name is fitting for living on Sesame Street.

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Photography
November 12, 2021

Photographer Zooms in on the “Hidden Beauty” of Small Seeds and Fruits

How often do you give seeds a second glance? Photographer Levon Biss will make you think twice about these small but vital structures. His series The Hidden Beauty of Seeds and Fruits features an up-close look at some of the specimens housed at Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden. The images showcase the striking and unexpected beauty of seeds and fruit, and Biss has done a fantastic job of photographing their fine details.

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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.