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 Supplies
March 14, 2021

Learn About How Linseed Oil Can Improve the Qualities You Already Love About Oil Paint

Oil paints have been the chosen material of artists for centuries, and it’s easy to see why. The luscious pigments and beautiful sheen that they produce give any subject an air of regality. But did you know that there’s a way to increase these qualities in your paint? Linseed oil is a painting medium that can be added to alter the pigment ever-so-slightly to behave in a different way.

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Oil Painting
March 9, 2021

Finger Painting Artist Celebrates Beguiling Beauty of the Desert Sky à la ‘Starry Night’

Throughout her career, artist Iris Scott has proven that finger painting isn’t just for kids. Opting for her digits instead of a paintbrush, her large-scale pieces offer an incredible and intimate look into how she sees the world: one that is full of color, texture, and energy. This is encapsulated in her latest painting called Sage and Time.

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Photography
March 5, 2021

Photographer Creates His Own 78-Card Tarot Deck Inspired by His Sleep Paralysis [Interview]

Like many people, photographer Nicolas Bruno is enthralled by tarot cards. Having interacted with the mysterious cards at a young age, the deck of divination continued to pique his interest into adulthood. Now, Bruno’s latest series, titled The Somnia Tarot, depicts the entire 78-card deck and considers the symbology behind the alluring images that are often used to predict the future. Bruno began his tarot card photography by referring to his portfolio of surreal imagery.

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Painting
March 2, 2021

Artist Seamlessly Places Beloved Pop Culture Icons Into Old Military Paintings

An Australian artist known as scadarts (aka mandal0re) creates stately portraits of characters from pop culture with a distinct twist. Each digital collage features the figure donning military attire and posing for a style of portrait formerly reserved for royalty. The images have a historical feel with a muted palette, strong lighting, and tempered brushstrokes that recall the work of the famed painter Caravaggio.

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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.