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.
Tattoos
October 15, 2021

Amazing Tattoos Look Just Like Holographic Stickers Stuck to Skin

When is a sticker not a sticker? When it’s a tattoo! Tattoo artist Clayton Dias will make you do a double-take with his holographic-inspired designs. He creates body art that has the metallic shimmer of a real sticker, complete with the vertical highlights and rainbow array of colors as it captures the light. Sometimes, it appears as though the tattoo is peeling from the skin which only adds to the amazing illusions within Dias’ work.

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Animals
October 7, 2021

Legendary “Animal Whisperer” Snaps Selfies With the Most Adorable Wild Animals

Snapping a selfie is an art, and few do it better than Allan Dixon. Known as the “animal whisperer,” the Gold Coast, Australia-based content creator stole our hearts many years ago when his grinning photo next to an equally jubilant quokka went viral. Since that time, Dixon has continued to snap photos next to the smiling small wallabies along with monkeys, kangaroos, and plenty of pups.

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Art
October 4, 2021

Precarious Performance Art Turns Everyday Activities Into Awe-Inspiring Spectacles

Artist Thierry Mandon does everyday things in a very precarious way. In two separate performance pieces, he read a book in bed as well as at a dining table—all while suspended far above the ground. Simultaneously awe-inspiring and unsettling, his works Inside–Outside and Tableau vivant (respectively) add a level of spectacle and drama to the parts of our lives that are otherwise uneventful.

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Embroidery
September 23, 2021

Learn How to Cross-Stitch and Create Your Own Embroidered Pixel Designs

Think of embroidery as a big umbrella. Underneath that umbrella is myriad techniques and types of stitching that each has its own distinct look—all while involving a needle and thread. Cross-stitch is a facet of embroidery that is one of the most popular approaches around. In fact, you’ve probably seen it without even realizing it; a cross-stitch has a pixel-like appearance and resembles a little “x” on fabric.

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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.