Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
Inspiring
February 11, 2016

Compassionate 70-Year-Old Woman Calms Aggressive Stranger by Holding His Hand

Sometimes the smallest gesture can make a big impact in someone's life, and the kindness of a 70-year-old woman has reminded us that simple human interactions can calm the most volatile of demeanors. Unprompted, this septuagenarian reached out to hold the hand of a man who was “being aggressive” while riding the SkyTrain in Vancouver. Facebook user Ehab Taha was sitting across from them and snapped a picture of the inspiring moment.

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Tattoos
February 10, 2016

Ethereal Floral Tattoos Mimic Delicate Watercolor Paintings on Skin

Aro Tattoo, aka @tattooist_silo, creates exquisite works of art onto the skin of her clients. Focusing on floral arrangements, the Korean tattooist uses soft pink, red, and blue ink to mimic the colors you'd find in a beautiful sunset. They offer an alternative stylistic approach to tattooing–rather than outlining subjects in a solid dark outline, Aro Tattoo completely skips the black ink and defines form with color.

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Art
February 7, 2016

100-Year-Old Hand-Colored Postcards Offer a Fascinating Glimpse of Pre-War Japan

Postcards can offer a fascinating glimpse into eras that have long since passed. The Digital Collections of the New York Public Library (NYPL) has released a selection of postcards from Japan in the early 20th century. Comprising hand-colored photographs, these landscape snapshots represent the country–specifically the Tokyo and Yokohama regions–and the culture at a time when it was on the cusp of modernity.

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Architecture
January 25, 2016

Architecture Students Design Sustainable Low-Income Homes That Can Be Built for $20K

The architecture students at Auburn University's Rural Studio prove that well-designed homes can still be affordable, thanks to their initiative called the 20K Project. The undergraduate program advocates for social justice through architecture, and to demonstrate this, students have created sustainable and low-cost dwellings for the rural poor.

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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.