Nightblooming Cards: Voyage of Discovery

INTRODUCTION

The first entries act as an introduction to this site and each successive posting builds on those that precede. So if this is your first visit to this site, we suggest that you start with the first posting and follow from there.
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I like the blog format because it allows me to tell a story.
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If you find images which you like as they are, then order as is. The advantage of the digital software I use, however, allows for easy customizing of the pieces. In many cases, the image and text as shown don't match that well. That is because I am trying to show as many images and texts as possible. It is up to you to mix and match them to your preference.
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Use your imagination. My intention is to engage you in the creative process. Pick what you like and let me combine them according to your specifications.
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This site has expanded to the point that I have created a Features Blog which will give newcomers a quick sampling of what I offer. See the link below.

MY OTHER BLOGS

This site acts as my "parent blog". The sidebar contains ordering information, background specifics, contacts, etc. It is also a complete collection of my card and print designs with flowers. I am up to 14 bogs in all.

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Brightlight Mandalas is a collection of all my mandala designs.

www.brightlightmandalas.com

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I also have a quick introductory blog with a sampling of features works from the other sites called Featured Nightblooms.

http://featurednightblooms.blogspot.com/

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Here are two tutorial blogs on which I show how to make the digital mandalas.

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Brightlight Mandalas Process

http://brightlightmandalasprocess.blogspot.com/

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Nightblooms Process

http://nightbloomsprocess.blogspot.com

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Catus Hugger Designs

www.cactushuggerdesigns.com

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Emerging Pattern Designs

www.emergingpatterndesigns.com

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Dancing Mandalas

http://www.dancingmandalas.com/

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Good Day Bikes

http://www.gooddaybikes.com/

I am adding a tenth blog called Tidbits from Tucson. It is a collection of posts on a wide range of topics that don't fit my artwork display. It includes inspiring videos clips, recipes, essays, and more.

http://tidbitsfromtucson.blogspot.com/

Since moving back to Maine from Arizona, I have been creating designs for Maine & New England, so I have added another blog called Mainely Mandalas.

http://www.mainelymandalas.com

My latest blog is Traveling Mandalas and will show my series of 50 state mandalas starting with Maine and Arizona.

http://www.travelingmandalas.com

APPRECIATION

I want to thank Jon Farle for his support over the last 25 years. He has been my sometimes tough mentor, friend and inspiration for all that time. He has helped many people during his unusual and amazing life. Twenty eight years ago, Jon also founded the board and care home I operate. It is just one of the ways he has dedicated his life to helping others. I hope to share more about his influence in the future.

Thanks also to Brian Ezzell. Brian has been very helpful in teaching me about computers in general and graphics programs specifically. Brian is a gifted painter who has good advice regarding various aspects of artistic pursuits.

You may link to information on both Jon and Brian, and view some of Brian's paintings at:
http://www.dolpopa.com/

I also want to thank my son, Chris, for getting me started with a lot of the digital graphics. He works in animation and has been unselfish in helping me learn the technology involved in creating the works you see here.

All three have been generous with their time and encouragement.

PURPOSE

My goal is to create art that has a positive effect on it's viewers. To that end you will see mostly bright, pure colors with little use of black or fire engine red. The themes are meant to inspire, encourage and please. All is done with peace and harmony in mind.
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While there is a place for political statements and calling attention to injustice, that is not my calling. Rather to make my art a reflection of contentment in my own heart is what I strive to express.
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That is the biggest areas for which I thank Jon. My life used to be chaotic; he has taught me how to bring order into my world. In that sense, I think of all my pictures as being a mandala or visual meditation.
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Let there be peace in our hearts, in our homes and in our world all year round. May my little creations contribute to the harmony in your world.

CHARITY

The board and care home that I run has been here for 28 years and has survived it's share of hard times. We are better off than many people in this recession, but we care for mostly indigent level residents so we are feeling the pinch like many; so I am looking at this art work as a way to contribute to the cause.
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I will take up to $100.00 per month in profits, but anything above that will go to support the home. By buying these items, you will be helping our chronically mentally ill clients.

ZAZZLE

I have started putting my products on Zazzle. It is an online site which gives artists a chance to market their products as customizible, on demand products. Through them, I will be able to offer larger prints than I can do on my own. I will also be able to provide you with t shirts, mugs, bumper stickers and more.
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I don't have all my designs posted on Zazzle, but I can post anything that you are interested in. I can also make them into whatever product you would like.
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It is a very nice service and I would recommend that you check them out.
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You may link to the site with:http://www.zazzle.com/robert_coyne
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One thing that Zazzle does not yet offer is bookmarks. If you want one of my designs as a bookmarks, I can supply those. I can customize them with images and text of your choosing.

MURALS YOUR WAY

There is an online service which creates murals for people to put on their wall as wall paper. They have a lot of beautiful designs available and I would recommend that you check them out. They can even take one of your own photographs and turn it into a custom mural.
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It allows me to offer you my mandala designs as murals. I can expand any of my designs as needed to make them suitable for a mural. If you give me the dimensions of your wall, I can even customize to that size.
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I have always wanted to do murals, but it is such a project; that I have never put it into effect. I would be thrilled to have one of my designs made into a mural, so I will happily do the design process for free and you will just need to pay the mural site for their end. I simply ask that you send me a photo of the finished mural.
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It appears that there are similar sites out there, but I have not checked them out yet. I would be willing to work with anyone.
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The link is:
http://www.muralsyourway.com/

ORDERING

I am using Zazzle as my primary production house. You will find most of what you want available there. I can easily add whatever else you might want to that site. Zazzle does offer volume discounts. See:
www.zazzle.com/robert_coyne
If, however, you want me to use a local printer to make up an order; I can do that. It is best to contact me by email for details and price.
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I can do most special orders without extra charge because new versions will become part of my inventory. There may need to be a small extra charge for some custom orders that have one-time applicability.
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Commission work and wholesale orders are negotiable. I am also open to collaboration, especially if someone wants to combine their writings or music with my graphics or animation.
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To see what I am doing with animation, see my blog:
Dancing Mandalas
or visit my You Tube channel at:
nightbloomingcards7

List of texts to accompany illustrations

*There are a few quotes which I have starred because there may be copyrights in place restricting their use. I know that is the case with the Einstein quotes because I was asked to remove one from my Zazzle gallery. I tried to get permission to use some of his quotes but was denied by the copyright holder. That is unfortunate, because a number of his quotes show a unity of science and spirituality which is a major theme for me.
I am including these starred quotes because I find them inspirational and want to share with others. I can quote them as long as I give credit, and don’t make a profit on them. I would be glad to make any of these available as a free download on my blog set up for that purpose. You may find what you want already posted there.
Otherwise, if you want something printed at cost, contact me and I will work it out as appropriate. If you are interested in something restricted, I can also attempt to get permission to use it. I don’t think Einstein himself would mind me using his quotes, but I believe that the rights get sold to management companies who are mainly interested in making a profit.
If anyone knows more about copy right laws, and wants to share relevant advice; I would appreciate it.
1 Nightblooming Cactus Poem-Coyne
2 Flowers inspire us to our own growth and urge us to our own blossoming.-Coyne
3 Flowers are God’s love offering.-Coyne
4 The key to contentment is daily acceptance to peace and harmony.-Coyne
5 Firebird Poem-Coyne
6 Serenity Prayer-St. Francis
7 Morning Prayer “Good morning, Dear Jesus. This day is for you. I ask you to bless all that I think, say, and do.”-John Farley Could also be done as: “Dear Buddha, O Great Spirit”, and so on.
8 When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I only think about solving the problem. But when I am finished, if the solution is not beautiful, then I know it is wrong.-Buckminster Fuller scientist, engineer, inventor*
9 Wisdom begins with Wonder-Socrates
10 No life is well rounded without the inspiration of beauty.-Beatrix Ferrand
11 Like the rose on a bush of thorn, the waxy beauty of the cactus flower from a spiny growth is born.-Coyne
12 Live one day at a time, and make each a masterpiece.-unknown
13 Simple Truth and Absolute Reality-John Farley
14 Today is a gift. Let us not waste it in worry of tomorrow or regret over yesterday.-Coyne
15 Prayer of St. Francis “Lord make me an instrument of thy peace……”
16 Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize that there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.-Lao Tzu
17 Irish Blessing 1 “May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back….”-traditional
18 Irish Blessing 2 “These things I warmly wish for you. Someone to love, some work to do……”-traditional
19 Irish Blessing 3 “May God grant you always….a sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you…..”-traditional
20 A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.-Lao Tzu
21 We do more by accident than we ever do on purpose.-John Farley
22 Change your thinking and you change your world.-Norman Vincent Peale
23 Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.-Kahlil Gibran
24 Flowers are God’s smile.-Coyne
25 Beauty is Divine.-Coyne
26 Artists help us take the time to look.-Coyne
27 The author gives us a poem or book; the artist helps us take the time to look.-Coyne
28 Faith is an oasis which can never be reached by the caravan of thinking.-Kahlil Gibran
29 Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.-Kahlil Gibran
30 Love one another, but make not a bond of your love; rather let it be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.-Kahlil Gibran
31 Nature gives us endless variations on a theme.-Coyne
32 Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.-Dale Carnegie
33 Be the change you want to see in the world.-Mahatma Gandhi
34 Work like you don’t need the money, love like you have never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching.-Satchel Paige
35 Imagination is more important than knowledge.-Albert Einstein*
36 In the spring, our desert hills are covered with a blanket of gold which a sense of awe instills as we watch new season unfold.-Coyne
37 Horse Sense “A horse cannot pull while it is kicking, this fact I merely mention. And he cannot kick while pulling which is my chief contention. Let’s imitate the good old horse and lead a life that’s fitting; just pull an honest load, and then there’ll be no time for kicking.”-unknown
38 I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.-Thomas Edison
39 Stop waiting….until your car or home is paid off, until you get a new car or home……unknown
40 Outwitted “He drew a circle which shut me out-heretic, rebel, a thing to flout; but love and I had the wit to win: we drew a circle which took him in.”-Edwin Marham
41 A Smile “Let others cheer the winning man, there’s one I hold worthwhile; ‘tis he who does the best he can, then loses with a smile. Beaten he is, but not to stay, down with the rank and file; that man will win some other day, who loses with a smile.”-unknown
42 There are only two ways to live your life. One as though nothing is a miracle; the other as though everything is.-Albert Einstein*
43 We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.-Winston Churchill
44 The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.-John Ruskin
45 Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than the fear.-Ambrose Redmoon
46 Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated; you can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.-David Lloyd George
47 Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.-unknown
48 Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.-unkown
49 The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.-Plutarch
50 I Corinthians 13 Charity-St. Paul
51 Beatitudes-Jesus Christ
52 Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.-Mahatma Gandhi
53 Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.-Mulla Nasrudin
54 People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.-Maya Angelou*
55 He who stops being better, stops being good.-Oliver Cromwell
56 The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.-Vince Lombardi*
57 Via con Dios-traditional Spanish
58 The Lord’s Prayer-Jesus Christ
59 Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be, and he will become as he can and should be.-Johann Wolfgang Goethe
60 Great minds have purposes. Others have wishes.-Washington Irving
61 I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.-Mother Theresa*
62 Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.-Henry Ford
63 Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.-Will Rogers
64 Irish Blessing 4 “Give us, Lord, a bit of sun…..”-traditional
65 Love dies only when growth stops.-Pearle Buck
66 When I see that I am nothing, that is wisdom; when I see that I am everything, that is love. My life is a movement between these two.-Nidargadatt Maharaj*
67 Each day is a gift. Let us not waste it on dread of tomorrow or regret over yesterday.-Coyne This is a slightly different version of #14
68 The gardener simply gives nature a chance to work her magic.-Coyne
69 God wants to reveal Himself to us, and does so in the beauty of a flower, the wonder of the night sky, and the smile of a baby.-Coyne
70 Sadness is a wall between two gardens.-Kahlil Gibran
71 Merry Christmas! Happy New Yeat!-traditional
72 Desiderata-Max Ehrmann
73 Rainbow Poem “The arc of light out of the cloud brings the promise of the rainbow. Gentle moments with peace endowed warm our hearts with a cheerful glow.”-Coyne
74 A perfection of means, and a confusion of aims, seems to be our main problem.-Albert Einstein*
75 King of the Desert “Like a sentinel rising from the desert floor, the saguaro king looks out on its domain. Majestic symbol as ambassador of southern Arizona’s rugged terrain. Wearing a crown of white, it stands tall against the sky.-Coyne
76 Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged with man.-Rabindranath Tagore
77 If you shut the door to all errors, truth will be shut out.-Rabindranath Tagore
78 I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was a joy.-Rabindranath Tagore
79 Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom.-Tagore
80 Age considers, youth ventures.-Tagore
81 Clouds come into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.-Tagore
82 Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.-Tagore
83 There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.-Marshall McLuhan*
84 Gratitude is a most healing attitude.-Coyne
85 Flower Power “Flowers have the power to bring a smile, to lighten the heart, to reconcile, and comfort impart, to say thank you, and inspire us, to say I love you, and to uplift us.-Coyne May also be done as: Giving flowers has the power……Let’s call this 85A
86 Develop success from failure. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.-Dale Carnegie
87 Fortune favors the prepared mind.-Louis Pasteur
88 Glow your rainbow.-Coyne Alternatively, we can add 88A Show your rainbow.; 88B Sow rainbows.; and 88C Grow rainbows.
89 Have you hugged a cactus today?-Coyne
90 Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.-Loa Tzu
91 Butterflies are flowers with wings, floating on vivid rainbow rings.-Ezzell/Coyne
92 Accept the possibility.-John Farley
93 I am the bridge between heaven and earth.-Coyne
94 Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.-Winston Churchill
95 No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.-Hal Borland
96 If words come from the heart, they will enter the heart; but if they come from the tongue, they will not pass beyond the ears.-Al Suhrawardi
97 Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.-Sachel Paige
98 The Golden Rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”-Jesus Christ
99 Silence is a source of great strength.-Loa Tzu
100 Have you chased a butterfly today?-Coyne
101 The Twenty Third Psalm. “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want……” The Bible There are many other beautiful psalms to choose from. If you have a favorite you want me to use, let me know. In time, I will be adding others. I generally give you the King James version of the Bible, but if you prefer another; let me know.
102 Birthday Message. “Celebrating birthdays is not merely a convention. It is an occasion to honor one’s growth, maturity, and development. Birthdays remind us that the gift of life is the most precious one we have, and the best birthdays are the ones still to come. Rejoice!-EJ MacDonald
103 We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used to create them.-Einstein
104 No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.-Einstein.
105 If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.-Einstein
106 Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.-Einstein
107 Have you chased a butterfly today?-Coyne
108 The Twenty Third Psalm. “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want……” The Bible There are many other beautiful psalms to choose from. If you have a favorite you want me to use, let me know. In time, I will be adding others. I generally give you the King James version of the Bible, but if you prefer another; let me know.
109 Birthday Message. “Celebrating birthdays is not merely a convention. It is an occasion to honor one’s growth, maturity, and development. Birthdays remind us that the gift of life is the most precious one we have, and the best birthdays are the ones still to come. Rejoice!-EJ MacDonald
110 We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used to create them.-Einstein
111 No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.-Einstein.
112 If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.-Einstein
113 Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.-Einstein
114 Chinese Proverb 2: Tell me and I will forget, show me…..
115 Chinese Proverb 3: He who asks is a fool for 5 minutes…..
116 Chinese Proverb 4: He who strikes the first blow…..
117 Silent night
118 Gratituce is not only the greatest of virtues…..
119 Content makes poor men rich…..
120 Season’s Greetings, Happy New Year
121 Estonian Proverb on gratitude
122 Chinese Proverb 5: The person who says it cannot be done…...
123 The voyage of discovery……
124 May the peace of the season be with you now, and throughout the coming year.
125 We are happy when we are growing.
126 Thousands of candles can be lit….. Buddha
127 It’s always too early to quit. Peale
128 He is richest who is content…… Socrates

CONTACT SHEETS

Below are contact sheets for images and text. Both are numbered to make ordering easy. New sheets will be added as we make additions to the postings.
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This is designed so that you can mix and match images and text. You may also specify background preferences. Customizing orders is also possible.
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I have also started adding "rays" to some of my backgrounds along with a "radial gradient" that adds depth to the images. It is appropriate for most mandalas and many of the symmetrical "composite" images. I have created a template by which I can colorize the rays to fit any background. I am also able to control edges, opacity and blending factors. Just ask, and I will be happy to add this element to your unique design.

DIGITAL COLORING BOOK

I am working on creating a digital coloring book with the mandala designs. These will be black & white versions of the images on disc which you can color yourself with Photoshop or other graphic software. I can't get it to work well with Microsoft Paint. The fill tool leaves an empty edge instead of filling the outline completely. If someone knows of a solution, I would appreciate hearing it. You will need to specify what format you want the disc in.
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A CD with one design will be $7.00. Additional designs will be $4.00 each or six designs for $20.00. Once I have enough designs to choose from, you will be able to specify which six designs you want.
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The disc will come with basic instructions on coloring the designs as well as hints and shortcuts. A fill tool will not give perfect results, so some use of a brush tool is necessary, so unless you like detail work; don't try this.
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Alternatively, I can print a black & white design on matte cardstock and you can color it with markers or crayons. I can do an 8.5"x11" for $5.00 and an 11"x17" for $7.00.
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Since these are a work in progress, e mail me to inquire about availibility of particular designs.
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Another way I can approach this is to desturate one of my flower mandalas and give you a layered version so that you could use color overlay to change the color for each layer. This is how I turn some of my flower mandalas into rainbow designs. Like my yellow prickly pear design, but want to see it in blue? That can be done by either you or me.

Nightblooming Cards

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Voyage of Discovery

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Zazzle Flash Panel

INTRODUCTION

MY OTHER BLOGS

About Me

CONTACT

APPRECIATION

PURPOSE

Animation

CHARITY

ZAZZLE

MURALS YOUR WAY

ORDERING

FREE DOWNLOADS! ! !

List of texts to accompany illustrations

CONTACT SHEETS

CONTACT SHEET 1 FOR IMAGES

CONTACT SHEET 2 FOR IMAGES

CONTACT SHEET 3 FOR IMAGES

CONTACT SHEET 4 FOR IMAGES

CONTACT SHEET 5 FOR IMAGES

List of Mandalas

TRANSLATION SERVICES

RAINBOW MANDALA 1 WITH POEM

DESKTOP WALLPAPER

SAGUARO CACTUS FLOWER COMPOSITE

Blog Archive

NIGHTBLOOMING COMPOSITE 4

Followers

JUMPING CHOLLA COMPOSITE 7

DIGITAL COLORING BOOK