Local graphic artist Clarence Lee, who designed a new U.S. Postal Service stamp for the 2008 Olympic Games, said he put a lot of thought into the tiny work of art.

The stamp depicts a gymnast and ribbon-like designs, which convey the beauty of the athlete and "lots of movement," Lee said. It features a sketch by Katie Doka, an Oregon-based artist originally from Hawai'i.

The stamp, created to commemorate the games in Beijing, China, subtly incorporates various elements from traditional Chinese culture, Lee said.

"We did a lot of research for the stamp design," he said. "We found out there is a very traditional form of papercut artwork, which was used for over 2,000 years. We took that very traditional art and used it."

Lee's meticulous planning extended even to the smallest details of the stamp design.

The 42-cent denomination in the stamp's upper left-hand corner is based on the traditional Chinese chop, or squared stamp. The color blend of the background was designed to help the image "pop out," he said.

The stamp went on sale to the public last week.

Lee, 72, who serves as a consultant for Clarence Lee Design & Associates, was approached by the postal service last year to design the Olympic stamp.

He has worked with the USPS on several other projects, all of which incorporate Chinese themes. In the 1990s, Lee gained national recognition for designing the 12 Chinese zodiac stamps, which also mimic paper-cutting artwork. In 1994, Lee designed the first joint-issue stamp between the U.S. and China.

Lee, who also designs company logos, signs and printed materials, said he has enjoyed doing the stamps because they gave him "the opportunity to reach back to my heritage." They also allowed him to honor his father, who immigrated to Hawai'i from China, he said.

Known locally for his work, which includes projects for First Hawaiian Bank, Zippy's Restaurants, Hawaiian Dredging and the Hawaii Community Foundation, Lee is surprised by the amount of national publicity he has gotten through his stamp projects.

At various events, stamp collectors have waited in line to have stamps signed by him, he said.

"As graphic designers, we don't expect this kind of publicity," he said. Ironically, "my smallest project got me the biggest notoriety."

Lee was honored as a Living Treasure by Honpa Hongwanji Mission in 2001. The same year, he was the recipient of the Koa Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.