Mary Koenen Clausen's mixed media collages are rich in texture and image. They are usually broken up into three areas: heaven, earth, and underground. Figures composed of mismatched heads and bodies float among animals, icons, musical notes, and foreign texts on backgrounds thickly painted with deep hues. Mary sees the musical notes and foreign text, some of which she reproduces in her own hand, as visual elements rather than symbols or messages.

Mary says of her process: "Collage is a matter of refining design. I sit with the pieces scattered around me and they come together. I always think in terms of layers. I don't treat collage different from painting." (www.olsonlarsen.com)