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.
Embroidery
December 20, 2019

Embroidery Artist Meticulously Recreates Art History’s Most Iconic Works as Tiny Brooches

Embroidery artist Ira Pashkevych translates some of the most famous works of art history into tiny textiles you can hold in your hand. Meticulously constructed, each short stitch acts as a brushstroke that captures a faithful likeness of paintings by artists like Vincent van Gogh and Monet. Pashkevych recreates their tactile strokes on a much smaller scale, and it's a testament to her incredible abilities to reproduce the works in this way.

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Inspiring
December 12, 2019

Artist Fed Up With Reading Bad News Illustrates the Good News From 2019

It’s no secret that the news can be depressing. With seemingly endless headlines about corruption, violence, environmental disasters and more, illustrator Mauro Gatti has created a salve for these dark times. His ongoing project The Happy Broadcast shines a light on the good happening in the world. The popular Instagram account features colorful illustrations that share a positive headline and a corresponding news story in the caption.

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Painting
December 9, 2019

Surreal Brushstroke Painting Imagines a Future Where Nature Takes Back Control

Artist David Ambarzumjan ruminates on our world through his ongoing collection of surreal paintings called Brushstrokes in Time. The beguiling works of art feature past and present landscapes that are interrupted by tactile strokes of paint, which themselves have their own scenes within them. The strokes sometimes match the era they juxtapose while other times they represent many years in either direction.

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Animals
December 3, 2019

Adorable Litter of Maine Coon Kittens Look Like a Tiny Gang of Grumpy Old Men

The Maine Coon cat breed has earned the nickname “gentle giant” for their large stature and playful personalities, but take one look at this litter of newborns and you might think differently. Tatyana Rastorgueva, who runs, Casvill County House of Cats where the kittens were born, recently shared photos of the group of young Maine Coons whose tiny faces could double as grumpy old men. The five gray babies have characteristics of curmudgeonly people—including furrowed brows and upturned lips.

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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.