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.
Graphic Design
February 23, 2021

How Helvetica Became the “Little Black Dress” of Typography

Typography is primarily thought of by designers, but there are some typefaces so popular that they enter the larger cultural zeitgeist. Helvetica is one of those typefaces. Developed in 1957, it has become ubiquitous and can be found everywhere from labels on grocery store shelves to transportation to the logo of American Apparel. Helvetica was not the first name for this now-iconic typeface.

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Crafts
February 20, 2021

Perfect Your Own Pixel Art When You Try Easy-to-Use Perler Beads

Do you love pixel art? This technologically inspired type of work is a charming way to recreate life, square by square. If you’ve always wanted to produce your own portrait made of pixels, then you’ll want to try Perler beads. The material—also called fuse beads, Hama beads, or melty beads—mimics the look of pixels and is an easy material to master. Plus, it's great for kids or adults.

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Sculpture
February 15, 2021

Beautiful 50-Foot-Tall Sculpture Pays Tribute to Native American Women in South Dakota

High above the Missouri River in South Dakota sits a magnificent sculpture that’s a beautiful tribute to the Native Nations of the Great Plains region. The 50-foot-tall artwork is called Dignity of Earth and Sky—often shortened to just Dignity—and is a statue of an Indigenous woman wearing a Plains-style dress and receiving a star quilt. In highlighting this figure, the memorial recognizes the often-overlooked group of women of the Lakota and Dakota Nations.

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Body Art
February 11, 2021

Artist Transforms Herself Into Mind-Bending Optical Illusions Without Any Photoshop

Like many artists, Dain Yoon enjoys working with paint. But it’s not a canvas that she puts pigment to—it's her own body. Using an extensive palette of paints and brushes, she applies the pigment to her skin and transforms herself into amazing optical illusions. Her creations go beyond fooling the eye, and they're convincing enough to make you believe that she is now what she has painted.

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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.