Chinese Proverb with Poinsettia Star

This is a digital star made with photos of poinsttia leaves. I created it as part of my 2011 Christmas card design. I use it here to illustrate this Chinese proverb.
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REFERENCE: t 159

2012 Cactus Hugger Calendar

2012 Cactus Hugger Calendar by robert_coyne
Browse other Mandalas Calendars

I have completed my 2012 Cactus Hugger Calendar. It is available from my Zazzle store at this link.

Failure as Teacher

This digital flower star is made with photos of barrel cacti. This saying could be my life's motto.
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REFERENCE: i 134

Keonig Quote with Hedgehog Cactus Star

This is a digital flower star made with hedgehog cactus flowers used to illustrate this quote by Frderick Keonig.

Upside

This phrase was posted online in August of 2011 by Positively Positive. It is unattributed. I have used a digital flower star made with hedgehog cacuts flowers to illustrate it.

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REFERENCE: t 132

EM Forster Quote

I just ran across this quote and like it so much that I want to add it to our collection. I pair it with new red & yellow prickly pear designs.
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REFERENCE: t 131

Abundance

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REFERENCE: t130

Hedehog Cactus Flower Composite & Border

Here are two more hegehog cactus flower creations.
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REFERENCE: i 157&158

Magenta Hedgehog Designs

I have new designs using photos of magenta hedgehog cactus flowers. The two digital flower stars are included as part of my mandala array posted on Brightlight Mandalas. I do not include them in my image inventory, as I don't look at them as complete works in themselves, but rather as design elements for the arrays. Some of these stars could stand alone as a peice of art, and if anyone is interested; I will work it out to make them available. I am listing the symmetrical composite shown below the stars.
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REFERENCE: i 156

Rumi Quote 1 With Teddy Bear Cholla Star

I recently bought a book of poetry by the Sufi poet, Rumi. It inspired me to share this quote as an illustrated thought of the week. I paired the quote with a teddy bear cholla star.
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I offer this piece here so as to add the quote to our list of texts.
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REFERENCE: t 129

Teddy Bear Cholla Composite 1

I finally have good photos of teddy bear chollas to work with. It has take some time, as they can be quite elsuive. Their flowers are a pale green and blend in with the cactus itself. While they are not as spectacular as many other cactus flowers, they are an important addition to my cactus hugger collection.
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This cactus looks fuzzy and huggable from a distance, but they may actually be the worst of our Sonoran desert cacti. They have little watermelon-shaped segments with thorns all the way aroung that come off easily. So if you get a thron in you, you end up with a segment attached and several thorns at once each with their nasty little fish hooks.
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When hiking in our desert, it is advisable to take a comb; because it is the only way to get the segments off without getting stuck more. I have come across patches of teddy bears that every time I turned around, I was getting stuck somewhere else. Ouch!

Aniamtion Demo

I have expanded my digital art into animation. Here is a demo project that shows where I am going with this. I had an idea for doing this kind of thing 40 years ago, and now the technology makes it possible.

Socrates on Contentment with Hedgehog Star

I used this for this week's illustrated thought, but include it here so as to add the quote to our list.
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RERERENCE: t128

Norman Vincent Peale Quote on Quitting

I posted this on Tidbits as the illustrated thought of the week, but I add it hear to include the quote on our list of sayings.
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REFERENCE: t127

Rings with Stars

A few months ago, I created a ring of joy around a rainbow mandala. Now I have a ring of peace and a ring of cheer. Others will follow. These are both made with yellow prikly pear cactus stars. All sorts of possibilities present themselves, and I will be happy to fill custom orders.

Buddha Quote on Candles with Saguaro Star

I just posted this as my illustrated thought of the week, but I add it here to catalogue the quote.
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REFERENCE: t126

Saguaro Array and Elements

I have created a new saguaro mandala and array. I show star elements that went into making the array as well.

2011 Mandala Array Calendar as a Slideshow

I have turned my 2011 calendar into a slideshow with the music of Loreena Mckennitt. The next step is to animate it.

Barrel Cactus Array 1 with Yeats Quote on Happiness

I posted this as my illustrated thought of the week, but I am adding it here to reference the text.
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REFERENCE: t125

New Holiday Salutation

May the peace of the season be with you now, and throughout the coming year.
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REFERENCE: t124

Voyage of Discovery

I used this for today's illustrated thought of the week, but I add it here to reference the new text.
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REFERENCE: i155, t123

2011 Calendars

I have completed a couple of 2011 calendars. The first one features new images I have created since last year. The second one is a series of flower borders with solid color blank fields for the addition of one's own texts. On Zazzle, one can add customized text and choose font, text size and color, and placement. One can use these tools to add one's own inspiring quotes and sayings. These can include song lyrics, poems, and prayers. One could choose a Christmas carol for December, a patriotic poem for July, and a psalm of thanksgiving for November. Use your imagination, and have fun with it.

2011 Calendar 1 by robert_coyne
View more Mandala Calendars

You can look at my list of inspirational texts which I have used with my illustrations as a starting point for your collection. If you want me to add a border using another type of flower, let me know. I have a nice one using butterlfies as well. I would be happy to make up the texts myself if you just want to tell me what to include.

2011 Border Calendar by robert_coyne
See more Flowers Calendars

Christmas Ornament

Christmas Cactus Mandala Ornament by robert_coyne
Make custom ornaments with Zazzle

I am now officially in the Christmas ornament business. Zazzle has started making them and to kick things off has a design contest. This is my entry, but I have added several others to my store as well.

Pomegranate Mandala Array 1 with Chinese Proverb

I posted this as an illustrated thought of the week on Tidbits from Tucson, but add it here so that I can reference the text and expand our list of Chinese proverbs.
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REFERENCE: i155, t123

Estonian Proverb on Thankfullness

I am working on Thanksgiving designs just in time for next year.
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REFERENCE: t121

Christmas Collection Slideshow

I created a new you tube video using my Christmas card designs for the last 3 years.

Other Christmas Cactus Creations

Here, we have 3 frame/borders made with Christmas Cactus flowers and a symmetrical composite image. All are on a solid green background, but other backgrounds are an option.
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Starting at the top, down.
REFERENCE: i 155-58

2010 Christmas Cards-Part 3

I have revistied my 2009 cards made with photos of the Christmas Cactus.
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REFERENCE: i 152-54, t 120
The card salutation: Season's Greetings, Happy New Year is one I have not used before; so I am adding it as a new text.

Gratitude Message from Ben Franklin

This line star is made with foliage lines I am using in a Christmas Cactus array, so I am not offering it as a finsihed product; I include it here to present the Ben Franklin quote.
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REFERENCE: t119

Cicero Gratitude Message

I did this as an illustrated thought of the week as posted to my Tidbits from Tucson blog. I include it there so as to reference the quote. I will use it for a Thanksgiving card design.
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This may seem to be an overstatement, but it works for me as my interpretation of Genisis is that God gave us a perfect universe and we said, "No thanks, I can do better." The story is not just about the creation of this planet, but of the cosmic creation as a whole, and ingratitude was the original sin. God is patiently waiting for us to realize that we can't do better, but we steam on with more and more extemes in our attempts to prove we can.
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REFERENCE: t 118

2010 Christmas Cards-Part 2

I finally identified the plant used in these designs. It is an iceplant and it is a succulent. I doubt anyone has ever used it to make a Christmas card before, but I think it works.
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The image at the top is what I call an array. It can be used as a horizontal card with the Christmas messages on the inside.
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Next year, I will make a set of design with Christmas carols. This one with Silent Night is a first installment.
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I will be making this into a You Tube video set to the music of Silent Night.
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Cards can be ordered individually through Zazzle, or I can have larger orders printed locally. I can also do box sets that include the last tow year's designs.
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The card with the Merry Christmas greeting is referenced first, then the same image with the Season's Greetings message, then the composite design, followed by the frame with just flowers, and the combo frame with foliage and flowers, and finally the array. Silent night is a new text. I can do other Christmas carols on request.
REFERENCE: i 147-151, t117