In this scenario, Maura is placing her grandma's image on one side of the paper and facing a birdcage in the center. The placement of these elements suggests that she is creating an asymmetry rather than a symmetrical composition.
The type of balance that best describes what Maura is creating is informal balance. This is because the arrangement of elements is not symmetrical, but they provide a sense of balance through visual weight across the paper.
So the correct answer is informal balance.