People read newspapers, use the old ones for wrapping or packaging, and clip articles for scrapbooks and keepsakes. Yet, for Kelly Olszyk, the 2014 TroyFest Best of Show recipient, newspaper is an instrumental part of her art.

Olszyk is coming back to the festival with her art works full of underlying messages.

Olszyk’s works are contemporary mixed media, made primarily with acrylic and newspaper.

“I have a certain process that I do with my art,” she said. “I mold newspapers onto the board, adding acrylic paint on top, then I sand part of it away.”

Olszyk said she stumbled upon the way she developed her process.

“In the very beginning, I couldn’t afford canvases so I experimented with different materials and texture. I practiced with boards and fell in love with this unique process ever since.”

Olszyk said she loved painting on old porch boards or on other recycled materials. The reason she uses newspapers, she said, was the stories on them.

“I look at the newspapers and I see our daily life in our society,” she said. “The breaking stories, wedding announcements, obituaries and advertising are the texture of life that would shine through the art works.”

Olszyk said the newspapers lend a story to each piece of art she created. Before Olszyk put acrylic paints onto the newspapers, she said she would look at the headlines and pick up the words from them to name her works.

“When you know the story literally behind the painting, you’ll find yourself connected with the piece,” Olszyk said.

The sanding step afterwards is also key, according to Olszyk. It illustrates deterioration process. She said when she sands a portrait, some colors, some details would come out, along with part and pieces of the stories underneath.

“This represents life, represents hardship,” she said. “But beauty still always comes through.”

Olszyk’s molding and sanding technique bring to her two-dimensional paintings a scripture-like element.

Olszyk said she was humbled and honored to have been named Best of Show at TroyFest last year, and was looking forward to this year’s show.

“It’s challenging for an artist to work for a couple of years to have one shot of showing the art pieces and receive recognition for them,” she said. “It was a wonderful feeling … I love the festival and the community aspect of it.”

Olszyk is bringing to the festival this weekend a variety some pieces fine art, folk art and hand-made recycled items with illustrations.

“Those are original pieces which have a purpose, a use for everyday life with art touches as well,” she said.