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.
July 4, 2023

Learn About the Bokeh Effect, an Aesthetic That Makes Photos Feel Cozy

Photography, like other forms of visual art, has a variety of effects that allow you to express your creativity. One of the most popular is called bokeh. This effect refers to the aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas of an image, most commonly in the form of circles that dot a composition. One of the easiest ways to imagine bokeh is by seeing city lights from far away.

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July 3, 2023

15 Famous Watercolor Artists Who Continue to Influence Painting Today

Watercolor painting is one of the most accessible forms of art. More likely than not, everyone has tried this type of painting at some point in their life, whether it be in art class as a child or just discovering it as an adult. Despite this familiarity, however, many people don’t know its rich history and some of the most famous watercolor artists who have made the medium what it is today.

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June 21, 2023

Monumental Installation Uses 804 Trees To Create an Untenable Version of Home

The phrase “putting down roots” is likely familiar to anyone looking for a permanent place to call home. In deciding to root ourselves in a location, we have the benefit of building a community and flourishing; home is one thing you don’t have to search for anymore. It’s just one reason why being displaced from where you live is so traumatic. Colombian artist Doris Salcedo explores this idea in her large-scale installation titled Uprooted.

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June 19, 2023

Charming Squirrel Portraits Showcase Sillier Side of the Cute Creatures

The right photographer can bring out a surprising side of their subject. Photographer Johnny Kääpä reveals the different emotions of his local red squirrels. His portraits showcase the multiple facets of their personalities, from sassy to silly to surprised. Kääpä's animal portraits feel relatable to us humans, making each image a delight. Kääpä has spent a lot of time befriending the squirrels that live near his home in Sweden.

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