Most contemporary artists do not restrict themselves to only one medium, such as photography or oil paint on canvas. Rather, they work in several different media---often within a single work. You don't have to be a genius to make mixed media art. In fact, it is a way for people from all walks of life to flex their creative muscles.
Collage
Collage is perhaps the most popular form of mixed media art, as it allows you to incorporate various media on a single surface. Think of it as expanded painting---you can use traditional paints, of course, but you can also incorporate newspaper clippings, photographs or pages from books. You can make collages on paper or pre-stretched canvas.
Sculpture
In the contemporary art world, very few sculptors work in traditional media such as bronze or marble. Contemporary sculptors lean toward mixed media, using one or many different materials. The German artist Dieter Roth, for instance, would use things from his environment---old receipts and cigarette butts---in his sculptures, while American artist Robert Rauschenberg picked up interesting garbage around his New York City studio to incorporate into his three-dimensional works---one of which included a stuffed goat with a car tire around its middle. While you probably don't want to use anything toxic or rotting, turning your junk into art is a creative means of recycling.
Books
While it may seem taboo to destroy a book, there really are no rules. Taking beat-up old books and re-fashioning them into art objects is a popular practice for novice artists and professionals alike. Rather than throwing away or recycling old, beat-up books, take out the scissors, glue, paints and markers and create sculptural objects for your home gallery.
