Posts by Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Staff Writer and Video Editor at My Modern Met. She earned a BA in Fashion and Textile Design at the University of Ulster in Belfast. Originally from Northern Ireland, she lived in Berlin for many years, where she fostered a career in the arts, dabbling in everything from illustration and animation to music and ceramics. She now calls Edinburgh home, where she continues to work as a writer, illustrator, and ceramicist. Her ceramics, often combined with hand-painted animation frames, capture playful scenes that celebrate freedom and movement, and blend her passion for art with storytelling. Her illustrations have been featured in The Berliner Magazine as well as other print magazines and a poetry book.
Animals
March 6, 2018

Portraits of “Most Beautiful Chickens on the Planet” Capture Their Underrated Beauty

If you were asked to name the most beautiful species of bird in the world, it’s unlikely that “chicken” would be your first answer. However, Italian photographers Moreno Monti and Matteo Tranchellini believe chickens are underrated. The two began a portrait project called Chic!ken to show the world just how beautiful these humble farm birds really are.

Read Article

Painting
March 1, 2018

Charming Pebble Paintings Turn Found Beach Stones and Sea Glass Into Handheld Art

British artist and illustrator Natasha Newton uses found beach pebbles, sea glass, and fragments of pottery as her canvas. Sourced from the coastal town of Suffolk, England, the artist strives to give the natural objects “another life as a treasured work of art” by turning them into stone paintings. With a deep love for nature, Newton hand-paints trees, leaves, animals, and more onto their smooth surfaces.

Read Article

Drawing
February 26, 2018

Japanese Illustrator Creates Beautiful Handbook of the Birds You’ll Find in Tokyo

Commissioned by Tokyo Midtown—an art and design-focused urban district in the heart of Japan’s capital city—illustrator Ryo Takemasa created an illustrated “handbook” of Tokyo’s most common Japanese birds. Made in collaboration with graphic design studio Tawarasha, the pamphlet features 25 different bird species rendered in Takemasa’s distinct minimalist style. From the common pigeon to the majestic great egret, each bird is beautifully illustrated with simple, graphic shapes and muted colors.

Read Article

Art
February 23, 2018

Artist Transforms Found Stones Into Animals You Can Hold in the Palm of Your Hand

Japanese artist Akie Nakata (known simply as Akie) turns found stones and rocks into adorable animal paintings you can hold in the palm of your hand. Inspired by the natural shapes of each stone she comes across, Akie chooses the ones she believes already have their own destined characters. Ever since she was a child, the self-taught artist has loved collecting stones.

Read Article

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.