Clarissa's gorgeous collages are soft and worn in. I love that she is influenced by my favourite musician, Jenny Lewis, which is what stood out about her work to me personally. But I really love her combinations of printed text, stamped or stenciled letters, natural colours, and things with wings. She says she is realistic, and realistically, she is an excellent artist (even if she doesn't believe it's possible)!

Name (Real or Screenname): Clarissa
URL (Blog, Website): http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaces/
Location (Where are you from?): Wisconsin

Q: Describe your work in 10 words or less.
A: Simple words and simple messes.

Q: What do you like to work with (magazines, photographs, vintage)? Be specific!
A: I love working with small scraps of paper that I find, old photos, bits and pieces of ribbon and text passages. My most recent works have relied heavily on pages from an old Wuthering Heights copy I found at a thrift store.

Q: How long have you been creating collages and what made you start?
A: I've been creating collages for about three years. I started after I graduated from high school—I bought a large journal hoping to turn it into a leaving-home-finding-myself type thing to take with me to college. I'm not even close to finishing it.

Q: Are you solely an artist, or do you work in another profession?
A: I'm a student, entering my junior year and studying English and Anthropology. I would love to make a profession out of being an artist, but I am appallingly realistic.