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.
March 7, 2022

Learn To Take Professional Photos of Your Pup in This Introductory Pet Photography Class

If you have a dog, there's a good chance you have countless photos of your pooch on your phone. Those casual candids are great, but what about having a professional-looking portrait of your favorite canine? You can do it yourself—yes, really—when you enroll in the Introduction to Pet Photography: Capture the Spirit of Your Furry Friend online course on My Modern Met Academy.

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March 2, 2022

Devoted Ukrainian Cat Cafe Is Staying Open to Care For 20 Kitties During the War

Cat cafes are a purrfect way to enjoy the company of felines while you sip a tasty drink. The beloved Cat Cafe Lviv is no exception. It’s been open for six years and the small team in Lviv, Ukraine, is devoted to its 20 furry residents. So devoted, in fact, that owner Serhii Oliinyk is choosing to stay at the cafe despite the Russian invasion in his country.

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March 1, 2022

Learn How to Sketch Structures in This Comprehensive Class on Architectural Illustration

Do you admire architecture? One way to celebrate the things you love is to create art about them. But drawing a building can be really tricky. There are often many fine details that feel nearly impossible to get right. Well, not anymore. Artist Demi Lang has a comprehensive course on architectural illustration on My Modern Met Academy. Her online class is called Architectural Illustration for Everyone: Draw Buildings in Ink and Colored Pencil.

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February 28, 2022

Funny Comics Capture the Absurd Humor of Working in a Retail Store

If you’ve ever worked in a retail job, you know how thankless it can be. The customers, the promotions you have to push—it can be draining. So, it’s nice to be able to commiserate with other folks who know the in-store retail struggle. Illustrator Stephen Beals does just this by chronicling the adventures of retail workers in his daily comic called Adult Children. In the four-panel comic, a retail worker (or workers)

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