Rachel Newell is a mixed media collage artist. She is an analog collage artist who uses other people’s unwanted paper materials, like magazines and books, to create with. She has been collaging her entire life after her mom taught her how to collage as a young child. Rachel was born in Mesa, Arizonia but grew up in Chillicothe, Illinois. She grew up in a very inspiring household filled with a talented family so there was never a shortage of art in her life. Her mother and sister are both artists and her father is a welding artist. Their love and support over the years has helped shape her into the artist that she is today. Her best friend’s mom, Jean Razo, was also a huge influence on her early life and took her to the Peoria Fine Art Fair every year where she dreamed of becoming an artist someday.
Until a few years ago, collage art was just a hobby. Over the past few years, Rachel has been a part of many group shows. She has also had many solo shows in Peoria, Illinois and has even been a part of Women’s Works, an international art show. Two of her pieces have been blown up and featured in two different art parks. Her piece, The Core, can still be seen on The Muir Building on Main Street in Peoria.
Rachel currently lives in her hometown, Chillicothe, Illinois, with her boyfriend and best friend Rex Hartmann. He is her inspiration and her “idea guy.” She would not be creating today without his help, love, and support. Their house is constantly filled with various scraps of paper, much to the enjoyment of their two orange tabby cats, Archer and Amos. When Rachel isn’t creating new and unusual pieces of collage artwork, she is teaching art lessons to her two art students, spending time with her family and friends, or working at River Beach Pub in Rome, Illinois.
