Images of my own Intuitive Collage Work

Collage is one of my favorite mediums, and it makes a lot of sense that I tend to choose mediums (like encaustic, shadowboxes, quilting, and acrylics) that allow me to incorporate found and reproduced images.  And if you love doing this, and are local to Portland, be sure to check out Scarlet Star Studios - Gretchin teaches wonderful Artist's Way classes and offers free collage nights!

One of the tricky things about doing collage though is trying to use only copyright-free or public domain images, especially for anything that gets sold or reproduced.  I've been growing more and more conscientious about this, but I still turn to old favorites like National Geographic when I'm doing little collages in my journal, or samples for classes.  I like the idea, too, of reclaiming the visuals I get inundated with - like in ads, wrapping paper, and junk mail - and incorporating them into my own artwork.  But, I figure if Rauschenberg can get sued (and lose), anyone can.