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.
Tattoos
August 9, 2019

102-Year-Old Tattooist Is Keeping an Ancient Philippine Tattoo Tradition Alive

At 102 years old, Whang-Od Oggay (who also goes by Whang-od or Maria Oggay) is helping to keep an ancient tradition alive in the Kalinga province of the Philippines. She’s the country’s oldest mambabatok, a traditional Kalinga tattooist. Each morning at dawn, Whang-Od wakes to craft a mixture of ink from pine soot and water in preparation to apply hand-tapped tattoos on the bodies of people from around the world.

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Installation
August 1, 2019

Mesmerizing “Portals” Made from Multi-Layered Colors Mimic Our Beautifully Mystifying World

Artist Jen Stark creates sculptures and paintings that delight the eyes with their visual effects. Using elements of optical illusions and Op art, her electrifying works appear in motion as they lead us down a dizzying tunnel or take over an entire wall. While it’s natural to assume they are otherworldly forms, the pieces are wholly inspired by our planet.

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Food Art
July 25, 2019

Artist Transforms Fresh Foods into Mind-Bending Arrangements of Tasty Patterns

There are few things as visually soothing as objects neatly organized. Artist Adam Hillman has built his practice around this idea, but often with a twist. Though he occasionally uses everyday objects such as coins and crayons in his pattern arrangements, Hillman primarily aligns elements that are perishable and prone to expiring quickly. The artist demonstrates that the likes of fruit, candy, bacon, and eggs don’t need to be eaten right away.

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Photography
July 16, 2019

Interview: Photographer Documents the Beauty of Childhood Spent Without Modern Devices

Photographer Niki Boon is interested in a slower-paced life. Occupying 10 acres of land in the rural New Zealand countryside, she and her family have crafted their own world that’s in tune with nature and largely unconcerned with being tethered by technology. Boon’s four children, all home-schooled, reserve their use of screens for educational purposes and spend the rest of their time taking care of their menagerie, playing outside, and running barefoot—and ultimately living carefree.

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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.