Happy New Year 2010

© D J McGarel, digital image

the last image of 2010

more of my graphics can be seen at mcgarelgraphics

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

Journey Towards Fulfillment

To me, art has always been a healing process, a great way of exploring and seeking comfort. I firmly believe art expresses the artist's soul, their true being. Whether subconsciously or consciously, the artist collectively by his/her choices of colors, subject matter, composition, titling, and/or brush- stokes reveal their inner truth, whom they really are to themselves and the world. I’ve decided to name my exhibition, Journey towards Fulfillment because as we travel through life, both intelligently and spiritually we seek meaning, purpose and enlightenment, in other words, fulfillment.

In 2002, late August early September I had a near death experience. The following year, one of my first cousins whom was the same age as I died suddenly, unexpectedly. She unfortunately wasn’t given a second chance as I was and I do every once in awhile question as to ‘why, why not?’ There are some many things in life that I do question. As I grow older the questions seem to be more profound and the answers seem more distant, kind of a way elusive, far beyond my grasp I do not claim to have life’s answers nor do I claim to have all life’s questions ( I doubt being blond, I am that deep) but what I will say this for myself, I am a seeker, a seeker of the truth. I think we all are to some extent; we seek to answer life’s complex questions as to why we are here. Whether our answers come intelligently or spirituality, we all seek for the basic need to know why each one of us does exist and our role in the universe. By the way, I was just teasing about the blond comment so please don’t take it to heart.

In a nutshell, here is my art today as it stands. I am seeking truth, answers and more importantly questions to what we all face when we reach that certain age when the President discusses the older generation and we look in the mirror and comment to ourselves, ‘Oh my gosh that is me. I am now part of the older generation.’ Yes I am referring to the dreaded midlife crisis. The time in our lives where excitement lies in seeing what body part will fail apart next. And with that I will leave you to digest these current babbling as I re-write, re-work the artist statement into a more acceptable platform that will be used for one of my upcoming 2011 shows. And yes, the working title for one of my shows will be entitled, JOURNEY TOWARDS FULFILLMENT.

McGarel Graphics Art work of November 2010

© 2010 DJ McGarel

A digital creation entitled:

Broken Hearts, New Beginnings

© 2010 DJ McGarel

A digital image entitled:

Stage 1 & Highly Treatable

Greetings All

These last few days I have been working on my art. Creating & having fun. Before you know it, 2011 will be here. I have three shows lined up. My work will be appearing at the Tinley Library in February. In April, I have a solo digital art show at S. Suburban College. I will be exhibiting new work @ the Frankfort Library this upcoming July. I am still working on the title. So far I am leaning towards: JOURNEY TOWARDS FULFILLMENT.

mcgarelgraphics website:

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Art_Works.html

SOFA SHOW 2010

Awesome time at Chicago's SOFA show this weekend 11-5-10

Someday I hope to exhibit at Navy Prier.

mcgarelgraphics: http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Blog_unProcessed/Blog_unProcessed.html

which image is the best?

These past two days I created these three images. All very similar but with slight differences. I am unsure which digital image I prefer. I am still working on the title, something about earth, life and the history of one's mistakes or past that effects one's future. All three of these images are copy written by yours truly, Diane McGarel.

If interested more of my computer images can be seen at mcgarelgraphics.

Riverwalk, San Antonio TX

A place I plan to re-visit is San Antonio TX. The Riverwalk is amazing. I spend a week enjoying the city. We traveled daily by river taxi. We ate at great places but I think our favorite was Landry's. I saw two art museums: San Antonio Art Museum and the McNay Art Museum. We went to the Towers of America, 75 stories up in the air and had an incredible lunch looking down onto the city. At the San Antonio Art Museum, we listened to the curator speak of the latest exhibition, all about Egyptian Art. All in all, loads of fun and yes, I do plan to re-visit someday in the near not to distant future.

mcgarelgrahics: http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

enjoying time at San Antonio's McNay Art Museum

I ( Diane McGarel ) had an enjoyable time visiting San Antonio. Besides from the views of the Riverwalk, I had the great pleasure of visiting two art museums. Both were awesome !!!! Lucky me gets to travel a lot and visit many different sights. Here are some of the pics of me enjoying this great museum. For lack of a better word, the artwork was awesome.

my artwork can be viewed at mcgarelgraphics: http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

creations last week of September 2010 on mcgarelgraphics

© DJ McGarel

Untitled 9-30-10

Mixed Media: graphics with paint, glitter, collage

sized 12 x 22 inches

© DJ McGarel

Untitled

Media: mixed media: collage, digital, beads,

paint, sand & torn canvas

this is a close-up of the work that is sized 12 x 22 inches

framed: 14 x 26 inches

mcgarelgraphics:

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

new images for today 9-28-10

Here is the new digital image of today 9-28-2010

created by DJ McGarel

more of my images can be seen at mcgarelgraphics

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

ART EXHIBITION ON SEPT 17, 2010

Greetings All:
You are invited to see the current artworks of
Cousandra Armstrong, Diane Dubois, Holly Johnson,
Diane McGarel, Jonah Ortiz, Michele Owens,
Renee Nordstrom, and Steve Reyes
at the
Glenwood Public Library
19901 Stony Island Ave
Lynwood, IL 60411
September 17th from 6 - 9 PM


more of my artwork can be viewed at
mcgarelgraphics at
http://web.me.com/dmcga456

enjoyable day at Navy Prier

Glad that I have opportunities to enjoy Chicago. Today (August 23rd, 2010) I spend the day at Navy Prier. Took a boat ride then lunch out at Rivera. Beautiful day. I spend a couple hours watching the boats come in and out. Loved it !!!!

Frankfort Libary March 1st - March 31st, 2010

Frankfort Library Exhibition, 2010

Today I put together a little filmstrip concerning the artist event that took place March of this year. It was my first solo show. Enjoy the filmstrip.

Still creating: McGarel Graphics images

© DJ McGarel

digital image created 7-27-10

more of my artwork can be seen at McGarel Graphics:

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

McGarel Graphics

© DJ McGarel digital image created on 7-25-10
title and size is pending upon demand



McGarel Graphics Website:

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

McGarel Graphics

Photoshop is a wonderful thing....

2010 digital creation. pictured, Diane McGarel with a digital art masterpiece.

more of Diane McGarel's artwork can be seen at mcgarelgraphics

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

Enjoying ART around the world

pictured above: Diane McGarel

My latest artist's day was exploring the museum and descovering different artists.

Love ART

mcgarelgraphics website:

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

New Art Work of today's date 5-20-10

© 2010 DJ McGarel

media: digital

created 5-20-10

© 2010DJ McGarel

Media: digital

Created 5-20-10

more art can be viewed on my website: mcgarelgraphics

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

News Article: Union Street Gallery Exhibition entitled "PAIRS"

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-15510-Chicago-Fine-Arts-Examiner~y2010m5d6-South-Chicago-land-gallery-presents-two-of-a-kind-and-other-paired-fine-art

Webpage:

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

If you wish to see more of Diane McGarel's artwork, it can be seen on my business webpage of McGarel Graphics

ARTChicago 2010

Enjoyable day visiting ARTChicago.

Rx for the Soul

The other day I say the play from the Illinois Theater Group located in Park Forest entitled, "No Way to Treat a Lady." It was awesome. Great musical comedy with the main character being a serial killer. two thumbs up and I recommend that you see it as well.

Tomorrow night (April 23rd) I will be dividing my time between the GSU Grade Art Exhibition of Sharon Burrick and the Tall Grass Arts Association Show. Both should be exciting events and cannot wait to take a look.

Keep creating and remember we are only limited by our imaginations.

Week-end photo trip....

Here are some pics I took while touring GSU. Beautiful campus & has some great ART. Some in nature and some man-made.

Enjoyable day touring Indiana

Spend the day with a friend touring the sites of Indiana. Enjoyable day with great company and happy to report the weather was beautiful. Tommorrow heading up to Starved Rock. I have never been and am looking forward to seeing the sights.

Diane McGarel's art work of 2007

@DJ McGarel

entitled: Directon

Media: digital

date: 2007

More of my creations can be viewed by my website:

McGarel Graphics

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

Paris Pictures

In the Fall of 2008, I visited Paris. Great fun to visit the sights.

EASTER 2010

Every since I was little our family Easter tradition includes the annual egg fight. We take turns hitting the colored eggs against one another. The egg that doesn't crack is the winner. Nono (grandfather) introduced us to that tradition. He, my grandfather on my Mom's side was born in Malo, Italy. He came over on the boat when he was sixteen. Nono said it was a tradition from his town. Uhm... although at times I wonder because the only time I ever heard of another family ever having an egg fight or doing anything similar was in the movie, "My Big Fat Greeks Wedding." It is a lot of fun. We take great pride in coloring the eggs and enjoy the tradition.

Hopefully you too had a great Easter celebration.

ramblings ons as I face another celebration of my birth

Enjoyable and productive evening. Besides from playing Wii, I enjoy creating art. Photoshop is such an great medium; easy, not messy and great way to store the art. If the art is in the computer, it isn't taking up much storage space, only a gig or two of computer memory as opposed to a large space which invades the living room.

Easter is approaching and so is my B-day. Cannot believe I am in my mid forties already. I like all the others who are facing the 'midlife crisis' wonder where has time gone? Just seems like yesterday that I was celebrating my 21st birthday. I remember it so well, the day I turned 21. Like many others on that legal drinking age, I took great pride to boast I engulfed a picture of beer along with 8 watermelon shots. Although it was kind of brutal the next day walking to the SIU campus to register for classes, yes it was way before the computer age when one could register from the comfy of their home, must say it was a great B-day celebration. I remember it well. The day I could legally walk into a bar and order a drink.
For me, I hardly drink anymore. Two beers now and I feel a buzzed, which not necessarily is a bad thing, it is just the way it is.


So many things have changed from then to now. My art for instance has changed dramatically. The computer age has made photoshop a reality and an acceptable medium for art. Yes, as I sit here typing away contemplating another year of passing, weighing the good & bad, uhmmmm...must admit, a very fine year. So the same day that
Canada celebrates Easter, I too will be celebrating, celebrating my B-day, the good, the bad and all that is in-between.


Below is one of my most recent creations.

©3-29-10 DJ McGarel

entitled the 'ramblings ons...."

more of my artwork can be seen at mcgarelgraphics

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

Still in the purple phase-mcgarelgraphics

© 2010 DJ McGarel

Creative Image of 3/21/10

Exploring on its title

more artwork can be viewed at mcgarelgraphics:

http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html

Am I Done With My Purple Period?

@DJ McGarel

Creative Journeys of 3-16-10

@DJ McGarel

Creative Explorations of 3/16/10

If you wish to look at some of my other creations, I have my

web page of McGarel Graphics http://web.me.com/dmcga456/McGarel_Graphics/Welcome.html