Holly Anne Mitchell

Jewelry

Holly Anne Mitchell, Crossword Puzzle Neckpiece. Recycled newspaper jewelry made with non-toxic adhesive sealant, organically sourced cotton cord, and beeswax. Dimensions: 24” l x 2.6” h x 0.4” d. ©Holly Anne Mitchell 2021. Courtesy of the artist.

Holly Anne Mitchell’s career-long exploration of newspaper as an artistic medium began with a college assignment. Tasked to create jewelry from “nontraditional” materials, she chose to use newspaper comic strips because of their bold, vibrant colors and the characters’ dramatic facial expressions.

She found newspaper to be surprisingly durable. Hand-formed into beads, hand-stitched with organically sourced cotton cord, and sealed with a non-toxic, moisture-resistant coating, recycled newspaper avoids the hazards of metal mining – and encourages viewers to see beauty in commonly discarded material.

Today, Mitchell uses comics, stock listings, expired coupons – even crossword puzzles – to fashion unique, eye-catching bracelets, brooches, earrings, necklaces and cufflinks.