Standing at 6’4, Doug Crites-Moore nearly fills the doorway when he enters a room, yet his passion is sitting at his dining room table for hours on end, creating whimsical paper sculptures that stand about an inch tall.
Nearly 40 of Crites-Moore’s intricate works will be on display starting Saturday, May 7, during a “Big Hands, Tiny Art” exhibit at the Mark Twain Library. Crites-Moore, a longtime Redding resident, will give a gallery talk and share the process and inspiration behind his work on Saturday, May 14 at 3 p.m.
For as long as he can remember, Crites-Moore said he had a fascination with “tiny things.” He made his first paper sculpture, a stereo console cabinet, when he just 10 years old, growing up in Oregon.
“It’s hard to explain. I’ve just always had an interest in making really tiny things. It’s in my DNA,” said Crites-Moore, a retired Senior Marketing Manager at IBM. “For me, it’s Zen – total peace. When I’m making these things, it’s the closest thing to being in my heart.”
The tools he uses include water color paper, dental implements, tiny scissors, X-Acto knives, blades, little clamps and tacky glue. He often creates the sculptures to give away as gifts, or to celebrate holidays. Crites-Moore said some creations take just a couple hours, and others have to be assembled in stages over the course of several days. One of his favorite works is a gift he made for his daughter, Adeline, a Noah’s Ark that stands just an inch and half tall – with miniature Noah and his wife standing on deck, tiny birds flying overhead and four pairs of animals marching aboard.
Crites-Moore said his wife Morna, has encouraged him to follow his passion for turning plain white paper into works of art.
“She has always seen that I’ve had this thing, this passion… she encourages me all the time, ’’ Crites-Moore said.
Register for the gallery talk online, www.marktwainlibrary.org, at the Library, or call 203 938-2545. Refreshments will be served.