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.
Design
December 12, 2017

Designer Can’t Stop Rearranging Everyday Objects into Visually Satisfying Compositions

Calling himself an “object arranger,” Adam Hillman sees the beauty in things organized neatly. Taking everyday things like matches, cotton swabs, and push pins, he meticulously places them in mesmerizing patterns that transform them from the ordinary into the extraordinary. Divorced from their original function, the items hardly look like themselves, and with Hillman's intervention, they function as a single form that electrifies the composition.

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DIY
December 6, 2017

People Are Wrapping Gifts with Fabric for the Holidays Instead of Paper

Are you looking to be eco-friendly this holiday season? One easy change to make is how you present your gifts. Wrapping paper, while beautiful, often ends in a crumpled mass that has to be recycled after just one use. If you want to avoid the mess but still have your presents wrapped and under the tree, try using this bundled approach. Known as furoshiki, it's a Japanese wrapping cloth used to cover gifts or other goods.

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Animals
December 5, 2017

Curious Cat Gets Kicked Out of Library But Gains Massive Fame on the Internet

Cats are notorious for going where they don’t belong. Whether that’s on top of a tall shelf or venturing outdoors, it seems that our furry friends can’t resist the allure of forbidden spaces. Max the cat is no different, but his curiosity didn’t kill him—it rocketed him to internet fame. Once a wandering stray, Max was rescued by a woman named Connie Lipton in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Dance
December 4, 2017

Capturing Grace and Elegance of Ballet Dancers on City Streets Around the World

We often think of dancers as performing just for the stage, but their awe-inspiring moves bring a fresh new perspective when brought to the city streets. Photographer Melika Dez travels the world to capture ballerinas (and ballerinos) among monuments and skyscrapers, as they twist and contort their bodies into graceful movements that complement the surrounding landscape.

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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.