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.
History
July 1, 2022

WWII Brides Wore Wedding Dresses Made From Their Fiancé’s Parachutes

Wedding dresses are themselves meaningful, but there are some gowns that are imbued with multiple forms of symbolism. For Ruth Hensinger, her wedding dress not only represented her marital union with her soulmate, but it was also a reminder of her husband escaping the clutches of death and allowing them to be together. How? Well, the dress is actually made from the parachute that saved her husband’s life during World War II.

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Illustration
June 29, 2022

Cartoonist Imagines Colorful World of Van Gogh in Illustrations Inspired by His Life

Like many creatives, cartoonist and illustrator Alireza Karimi Moghaddam fell in love with Vincent van Gogh’s work and was compelled by his story. Moghaddam was a teenager when he first began admiring the artist’s style and vibrant colors. Immersing himself in Van Gogh’s history, Moghaddam learned—and continues to learn—about the iconic figure and has created an entire body of work inspired by his life. Moghaddam has been producing illustrations of Van Gogh for years.

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Wedding
June 27, 2022

Couple Poses for Wedding Pictures Under a Dramatically Beautiful Sunset

When a wedding is over, the memories of it live on through photography. It’s a good reason why you shouldn’t skimp on having a dedicated photographer on your big day. If you need more proof, just look at these fantastic wedding portraits captured by photographer Timothy Anderson Jr. He shot the wedding of Lauren and Michael Bryne on the New Jersey shore. As the Sun was setting on their wedding day, Anderson Jr.

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Dance
June 21, 2022

Incredible Choreography Combines Traditional Indian Dance With the Swagger of Hip Hop

Dance is a way to showcase culture. For choreographer and dancer Usha Jey, it’s also a way to show love and respect. Trained in the Indian classical dance of Bharatnatyam, she uses elements of the traditional technique and pairs it with the hip-hop style. The result is an electrifying combination in which the precise movement of Bharatnatyam seamlessly blends into the swagger of hip-hop, all set to contemporary rap songs.

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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.