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.
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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Painting
July 15, 2019

Lovely Flower Murals Transform Ordinary Rooms into Spaces with Blooming Personalities

Artist and illustrator Lilit Sarkisian adds blooming personality to otherwise ordinary rooms with her floral mural art. Working completely freehand on walls, she sketches larger-than-life blossoms, vegetables, and succulents that effortlessly flow across their designated spaces. Although they're rendered in soft hues, they become a statement-making part of any room. For the artist, location is key—it dictates how the mural will ultimately look. “I create all the sketches specifically for a specific location,” Sarkisian explains.

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Animals
July 11, 2019

Adorable Dalmatian Has Lovely Heart-Shaped Spots Around His Eyes

Charlie the Dalmatian is the living canine version of the heart eyes emoji. Ever since the pup was small, he has rocked two distinctive heart-shaped spots over both of his eyes. With this adorable characteristic—as well as his playful personality and faithful companionship—you can't help but fall in love with him! It wasn’t always clear that Charlie would have such special markings.

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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.