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.
Oil Painting
April 24, 2025

Monumental Oil Paintings Explore Personal Transformation Through Swirling Ethereality

London-based Australian artist Ella Baudinet unifies the mind, body, and spirit through her ethereal oil paintings. The pieces combine sensibilities from multiple art movements, including abstraction, Surrealism, and realism, and are expressed through colorful, swirling compositions. Monumental in their beauty and scale, the thought-provoking works are included in Baudinet’s solo exhibition at S GALLERY in Madrid, Spain. The collection of paintings is titled Expansion, and they emerged during a period of personal transformation for Baudinet.

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Store
April 11, 2025

Decorate Your Skin for Spring With These Artsy Temporary Tattoos

Now that our winter jackets are stashed away, it’s time to shine with sleeveless tops and spring accessories. Looking for that artsy addition to your wardrobe that will go with anything in your closet? Tattly temporary tattoos are it. The creative designs cloak your skin in statement-making illustrations, perfect for whether you're an art appreciator, wildlife lover, or just enjoy stopping to smell the flowers.

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Modern Art
April 4, 2025

Learn About Louise Bourgeois: From Her French Beginnings To Monumental Spider Sculptures

French-American artist Louise Bourgeois was a prolific creative. In her eight-decades-long career spanning the 1930s to the 2010s, she created large-scale sculptures for which she’s still known today. Sculptures, however, were just one part of her practice; she also painted, printed, and produced fabric art. The pieces were informed by the many themes she explored, all of which have proved timeless: memory, trauma, family, and the body.

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Travel
March 28, 2025

My Modern Met’s Art + Culture Guide to Phoenix

Phoenix, Arizona, is the largest city in the southwestern United States and has a vibrant culture to match. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the desert and sunny skies about 300 days out of the year, there is always something to do and look forward to in terms of art, culture, and food. The desert has long been a source of inspiration for people throughout history.

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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.