This is my fourth collage on Polyvore and I cross posted to Pinterest, Facebook and Tumblr. The interesting thing about creating Polyvore digital collages is that it has vastly improved my art journal and general collage techniques. I'm really beginning to understand the concept of layering, I think. I'm now going back to re-learn the Photoshop class I took a few years ago with Marie Otero, Lost Aussie.
Rain Treaux, a long-time blogging buddy of mine at Rainy Day Thoughts, brought up very some very interesting comments yesterday regarding copyright and the rapidly-expanding social media sites where artists and photographers post their work--and, of course, don't want us copying it, not even a tiny portion of it. There are multiple warnings on the Internet about copyright, including one I posted in my comments yesterday in reply to Rain's concerns. But, she referred me to an EBSQ site about infringement regarding Polyvore and other social media sites. If you are interested, it is very enlightening. Many sites do not allow the Polyvore clipper tool which I am all for.
I often post SoulCollage cards, art journal pages an collage I make here as well and, technically speaking, copyright also applies to these kinds of collages. I do not do any of this for sale and use only public domain images in the few pieces I do sell. I do not intend to curtail my own creative endeavors because of the sheer pleasure I get in creating art the way I do, I must admit. I think I would probably have gone stark, raving mad long ago if it wasn't for my writing and art. But, I am totally looking at my creations more cautiously thanks to the issues Rain, who is a working writer and artist, brings up. Fortunately, I have a sizeable archive of public domain art stored in my computer so I will be drawing from this more and less from social media sites. I also use a lot of my own photography and art. Since I don't make my living with blogging or art, I have no issues with others clipping from my own personal pins on the blog or Pinterest.
Wow, can you imagine the fields of law that have opened up because of the Internet? Hey, I'm having fun here, not trying to infringe on anyone else's creations. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this non-artist's creative endeavors as much as I enjoy creating them.
