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.
Painting
May 1, 2025

Massive David Hockney Exhibition Shows More Than 400 Works Taking Over the Louis Vuitton Foundation

Renowned artist David Hockney has taken over Fondation Louis Vuitton (aka the Louis Vuitton Foundation) in Paris. His work occupies all exhibition spaces for a retrospective titled David Hockney 25. The show is massive and unprecedented in its content and scope; it contains more than 400 works from 1955 to 2025, bringing pieces from Hockney’s studio, his foundation, and loans from institutions and private collections.

Read Article

Macro Photography
April 25, 2025

LEGO F1 Racing Cars Come to Life on Photographer’s Handcrafted Track [Interview]

Playing with toys might be for kids, but Hungarian photographer Benedek Lampert proves you can make a career out of it as an adult. He recently produced a dynamic photo series showcasing LEGO Formula 1 (F1) cars racing around a hand-crafted track. The images feature the LEGO Minifigures nestled in their racing cars as they “burn” rubber to see who will get first place in the F1 toy race.

Read Article

Embroidery
April 15, 2025

Charming Embroideries of Japanese Hiragana Illustrate the Many Words Formed by Each Character

Illustrator and embroidery artist Tomoko Kubo is stitching their way through the Japanese hiragana lettering system. There are 46 characters within the lettering system, and Kubo has designed each piece as a colorful peek into the character. Every bubble design features foods, animals, landscapes, and activities that begin with the chosen character.

Read Article

Landscape Photography
April 8, 2025

Stunning Self-Portraits Connect Humans to Icy Icelandic Landscapes [Interview]

For three years, Anna Isabella Christensen photographed herself among Iceland's ice caves and glaciers. The ambitious self-portrait project features her in places many of us dream of visiting—chiseled ice peaks against an equally frigid backdrop. Devoid of other people and the trappings of human existence, she stands alone, looking on toward a landscape with an otherworldly appeal. Christensen is the focal point of each image; but, at times, it’s hard to spot her.

Read Article

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.