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.
Portrait Photography
August 20, 2019

Interview: Photographer Debunks the “Crazy Cat Lady” Stereotype with Over 300 Portraits

The “crazy cat lady” is one of modern culture’s most enduring stereotypes. Photographer BriAnne Wills knows that this idea is largely false, and she has set out to dispel the myth with her ongoing project called Girls and Their Cats (GATC). Since 2015, she has snapped portraits of women and their felines to showcase them in a positive way—as interesting ladies who love their cats.

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Painting
August 15, 2019

Surreal Paintings of Women Embody the Emotions of Nature and Inanimate Objects

Artist Sarah Joncas uses a centuries-old narrative technique as the basis for her surrealist paintings that combine realistic portraiture with decorative motifs. The Toronto-based creative was inspired by the concept of “pathetic fallacy”—a literary term that attributes human traits and emotions to inanimate objects or animals. Through 21 portraits, she creates her own twist on this time-honored device.

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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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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.