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.
Portrait Photography
March 13, 2018

Photographer Captures All 11 of Her Kids in One Stunning Heirloom Portrait

Photographer Lisa Holloway is perfectly poised to capture stunning sibling photography—she has a beautiful brood of 11 children! For years, we’ve marveled over her striking portraits of her kids, each of them in the midst of a tranquil landscape and bathed in natural light. Holloway’s children are often shot individually or in pairs, but for one of her latest photos, she’s combined all of them in one long black and white portrait.

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Social Cause
March 6, 2018

4,100 Pounds of E-Waste Are Transformed Into Post-Apocalyptic Landscapes

Photographer Benjamin Von Wong uses his photography as a way to make a positive social impact. His stunning images create awareness about issues from climate change to plastic pollution in our oceans. Thought-provoking as they are beautiful, Von Wong's high-concept series are innovative in their use of materials. This is particularly true of his latest project. It focuses on e-waste, which is the refuge produced when we upgrade (and ultimately discard)

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Drawing
February 21, 2018

Dog Breed Guide Is a Hilariously Accurate Representation of 20+ Different Pups

Choosing a canine companion can be a challenge. Different dog breeds each have their own personalities that might mesh perfectly with yours, or the two of you might drive each other crazy. Luckily, illustrator Grace Gogarty, aka Little Tunny, has created a hilariously helpful guide to distinguish the differences between dogs. Through quick sketches and witty bullet point “facts,” Gogarty has summed up over 20 breeds of canines.

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Drawing
February 18, 2018

100+ Drawing Ideas That Will Get You Sketching Right Now

Practice is a vital part of perfecting your drawing skills. Learning the basics and repeating them over and over again is the only way to improve. For proof, just check out what a few years of drawing practice can do. It’s truly incredible the progress that you can make by dedicating time to this pursuit. Those who do have gone from scrawling simple figure sketches to fully-rendered portraits in seemingly no time.

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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.