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.
July 14, 2018

Curious About Color Mixing? Here Are the Basics You Need to Know

There’s more to painting than simply applying pigment to canvas. Mixing colors is just as important as the technique or style of your work. Choosing the right hues can make a huge impact in conveying the emotion of a painting; it goes hand-in-hand with the subject matter. Consider, for instance, Picasso’s paintings from his Blue Period. Would they have been as poignant without the use of blue tones?

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July 10, 2018

50+ Contemporary Artists to Keep an Eye on Featured in One Gallery Show

The Spoke NYC gallery is known for its striking exhibitions of exciting contemporary painting, illustration, and sculpture, and its latest New York City exhibition lives up to its reputation. Called Suggestivism: Resonance, the show features over 50 contemporary artists from around the world that are at different points in their careers; some, like Audrey Kawasaki, are well-established while others are up-and-coming in their creative journeys.

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July 2, 2018

This Japanese Museum Has the Most Flexible Schedule in the World

In Kyoto, there is a small museum with a sign that anyone in the workforce can probably appreciate. Called the Ukiyoe Small Museum, it’s owned by artist Ichimura Mamoru and its hours are flexible, to say the least. Outside of the museum’s front door is a straightforward and charming sign that says, in no uncertain terms, “Open when I wake up and close when I must go to sleep.

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