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.
Embroidery
November 24, 2025

Forthcoming Embroidery Book Will Have You Stitching Landscapes That Look Like Oil Paintings

Landscape art has a long and rich history. Crossing cultures and centuries, the human desire to recreate the Earth’s beautiful vistas remains timeless. If you’ve ever trekked to a stunning overlook and had the urge to make art, a forthcoming book will teach you how to produce mountains, beaches, and more through embroidery.

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Oil Painting
November 20, 2025

Psychedelic Paintings Visualize the Human Psyche as a Surreal Technicolor Dream

Surrealism has only been around for a century, yet it’s had an outsized impact on the art world. In its relatively short lifespan, the movement has inspired countless creatives working today. Brazilian artist Rafael Silveira is one of them; he creates fantastical portraits of people that use objects, animals, and places as a way to delve into the human psyche.

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Embroidery
November 19, 2025

Artist Has Been Embroidering Fashionable Frocks on a Tiny Model for Nearly 10 Years

Nona Kecil is one of the most fashionable characters you’ll meet. She’s not afraid to experiment with bold, bright colors and try avant-garde shapes that change her silhouette in fun and surprising ways. You might envy her wardrobe and want to know where she finds her fabulous frocks. Well, everything Nona Kecil wears is one of a kind for good reason: she’s not real.

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Art
November 14, 2025

Get To Know the Denver Art Museum, a Global Museum With Regional Emphasis [Interview]

Art museums play a vital role in the culture of a city or town. The collections in these institutions often showcase works and objects from other places, exposing visitors to many ways of life. But these museums also offer a valuable opportunity to appreciate and participate in the cultural happenings of the place where they live. The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is fostering these connections through its vast collections and emphasis on community engagement.

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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.