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.
Wildlife Photography
May 15, 2025

Wildlife Photographer Captures Mid-Air Battle of Two Birds Fighting for Dinner

The natural world is full of epic bouts that make for equally epic photographs. But to do that, it involves luck, timing, and patience on the part of the photographer. Henrik Nilsson recently captured incredible action shots of a marsh hawk (aka northern harrier) stealing a meal from a short-eared owl in mid-air. The crisp, dynamic images are simultaneously a look at nature's beauty and its ferociousness.

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Good News
May 8, 2025

Robert De Niro Shares Love and Support for Daughter After She Comes Out as Trans

Actor Robert De Niro is showing what unconditional love for your child looks like. His 29-year-old daughter Airyn De Niro recently came out as trans in an interview with Them, an outlet that shares “what it means to be LGBTQ+ today—and tomorrow.” De Niro publicly supports his daughter, a welcome thing to see in a cultural and political climate in which the health and well-being of trans people are continually under attack.

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Crafts
April 25, 2025

What Is Batik? Learn How Wax Resist Can Give Way To Beautiful Surface Design

There are many ways to create surface designs on fabric, many of which have a long place in our collective history. Batik is one such approach. It’s the art of decorating cloth using wax and dye. Batik is a resist technique, meaning that the wax acts as an impediment to the dye. Wherever the wax is placed, the dye will not go. Once the wax is removed, the fabric's original color remains.

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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.