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.
Art
September 15, 2020

Artist Paints Portraits of Black Women Using Real Hair To Show the Beauty of Natural Styles

Artist Tyler Clark brings her paintings of Black women to life using an unconventional material. Each of her portraits features painted faces that incorporate real hair as a way to showcase both the beauty and versatility of natural styles. “I love braids and locks the most,” Clark tells My Modern Met. “Braids because there are so many different styles I can create with them.

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Embroidery
September 9, 2020

Artist Embroiders U.S. Flag on Cover of TIME Magazine as a Call for Change [Interview]

Artist Nneka Jones has been busy since graduating college four months ago. She gained recognition—and rightfully so—for her portraits highlighting Black girls and women who have faced injustices. The embroidered images are powerful and use circular motifs to symbolize how the subjects are targets within our society. Jones’ latest project—the coveted cover for TIME magazine—takes another conceptual approach, this time applying it to the United States flag.

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DIY
August 22, 2020

Artist Uses Colorful LEGO Bricks to Transform Ordinary Kitchen Peninsula

Muralist Racheal Jackson completed a DIY in her kitchen by constructing a new wall brick by brick. But instead of the conventional clay slabs, she opted to create a colorful design for her kitchen peninsula using LEGO blocks. The statement-making addition was a brilliant way to inject some youthful fun into the room. Jackson has long been a fan of the building bricks.

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Funny
August 18, 2020

Iconic Paintings Reimagined With Bill Murray’s Face

Actor Bill Murray has played a lot of roles in his life, so it's no surprise that he could be a shoo-in for any number of historical figures. Need proof? Look no further than Redditor Eddy Torigoe. He has created a series that reimagines famous artworks with Murray’s face in place. From Rembrandt to Frida Kahlo, the beloved celebrity is a convincing stand-in for the faces we’re used to seeing in iconic self-portraits.

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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.