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.
Sculpture
April 1, 2022

Giant Troll Sculptures Made of Recycled Wood Greet Visitors in the Great Outdoors

In many fantastical tales, trolls play the role of an agitator or villain, but this is not the case in the work of artist Thomas Dambo. The Danish sculptor crafts monumental gentle giants that hang out in forests and other locales around the world. The benevolent creatures are made of recycled wood, branches, and other debris. However, despite their often-rigid material makeup, there is a softness to them.

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Entertainment
March 29, 2022

Japanese Woman and Her Dad Dress in Cosplay as a Creative Way To Spend Time Together

Cosplay is more fun when you have someone dressing up alongside you. A Japanese woman named ofumi has a dedicated cosplay partner—her dad.  The two dress up in costumes that are meant for pairs, and each has perfected their own type of role. Her dad often plays an enforcer and is seen furrowing his brow and snarling while brandishing a sword.

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Academy
March 29, 2022

Gain Inky Inspiration When You Enroll in This Animal Portrait in Colored Inks Course

Do you want to perfect your storytelling? Are you looking for new ways to highlight the emotion that your artwork evokes? Illustrator Anna Sokolova is a pro at it. For over 10 years, she has been creating inky illustrations for clients like Netflix and Maison Margiela. Now, she’s sharing her expertise in a class on our e-learning platform, My Modern Met Academy.

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Resources
March 24, 2022

Learn How Hand Lettering Can Elevate Ordinary Text Into Extraordinary Art

The world is full of text, and not all of it is designed to be pretty. Like any creative field, text can be dry and boring. One area in which it shines, however, is in hand lettering. This particular kind of letterform is drawn by hand and adds a distinctive flair to ordinary text, infusing it with personality and unique flourishes you wouldn’t find in ordinary typefaces.

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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.