Holly Anne Mitchell

For over 35 years, I've had a fascination with newspaper. It began back in 1991 with an assignment in a metalsmithing class. I had to create a piece of jewelry which did not consist of any traditional materials (no metal, precious stones, etc.). I chose newspaper.  I love to push the boundaries of its text, color, and content. For example, The New York Times,  Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, have very different fonts. I love to juxtapose them to create wonderful rich textural patterns. I use comic strips because the characters’ expressive faces contain bold, bright, and powerful colors. I use expired coupons because the textural patterns of many elements, including the UPC bar codes, are reminiscent of African Kente cloth. I strive to bring out these aesthetic strengths to create jewelry which is equally interesting both on and off the body. I truly believe ordinary materials (such as newspaper) can be extraordinary.