Oregon artist Doug Roy, a self-proclaimed “paper sculptor,” plans to show off his intricate, stylized, and whimsical miniature art at the Rotary Club of Los Altos’ 47th Annual Fine Art in the Park Show, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on August 13 and 14 along University Avenue.
Roy is an award-winning artist whose work follows a centuries-old tradition of creating miniature art. At various times between the 10th and 16th centuries, miniature art was created by the Chinese, Persians, Indians, Ottomans, Byzantines and medieval Europeans, who illuminated sacred manuscripts.
In Roy’s case, he “paints” with tiny hand-cut pieces of paper, some of which are less than 1/64th of an inch. It uses hundreds to thousands of pieces to create a mosaic that fits a frame with a perimeter no larger than 48 inches. His tools are Exacto knives, toothpicks, rulers, Elmer’s glue, hole punches and lots of light.
Roy’s father was a draftsman, painter and caricaturist; Roy’s uncle was a paper artist in Mexico. Inspired by them, Roy began his career as a freelance illustrator for publishers and advertising agencies, and illustrated stories for Cricket, a children’s literary magazine. His media were ink, watercolor and prismatic color.
In the 1990s, Roy turned to experimenting with a different medium – paper – using samples of colored papers he had collected over the years from art supply stores, marbled paper manufacturers and elsewhere.
After making a paper village and snowmen for his fireplace one Christmas, he was hooked. Later, during the presidency of George W. Bush, Roy was one of two Oregon artists invited to create an ornament to hang on the White House Christmas tree – a paper replica of a house inhabited by President Herbert Hoover. The ornament was later placed in the National Archives.
“Most of my pieces have a story,” Roy said. “I guess it’s the result of working as an illustrator all these years.”
For example, his piece “The Moon Gave Her Light” was inspired by Roy hearing folk singer Pete Seeger sing the opening verse of “The Fox”:
The fox went hunting one night,
He prayed to the moon to give him light,
‘Cause he had miles to go that night
Before reaching the city-o,
He had a lot of miles to go that night
Before he reaches o-city.
Roy has featured his painstakingly detailed pieces in miniature art shows around the world, including one sponsored by the Miniature Art Society of Florida, and he has won numerous national and international awards for his work.
He said he loved seeing people smile and laugh when they encountered his work.
“Working with paper is the most fun thing I’ve had doing art,” Roy said. “It’s the type of art that I feel most creative and competent to do. I really feel like I was made to do it, and I always look forward to starting the next piece. .
Fine Art in the Park presents the work of 150 selected artists. Fundraising benefits both local and international charity projects. Roy and his work will be at booth 332.
Patricia Rohrs is a member of the Rotary Club of Los Altos. For more information, visit losaltosrotary.com.
