Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, like everyone on the Gulf Coast, our lives were in turmoil. In addition to the logistics of basic needs such as shelter, phone service and, most important, tracking down friends and loved ones, there was a business and a staff, several of whom lost everything they owned, to consider. AlthoughContinue reading “We Will Rise Again”
Author Archives:
A Sentimental Mood (in New Orleans)
After six weeks on the road, we are back in New Orleans for a few days before returning to California until the fall. Although a whirlwind visit, I settle in with that same feeling I get when meeting up with an old friend after years apart, picking up where we left off with the comfortContinue reading “A Sentimental Mood (in New Orleans)”
A Flurry of Activity
…a sneak-peek at new projects The woodpeckers are crazy today, flying into the windows, boring holes into the house, and twirling together as though spring, and not a cold and foggy Carmel summer, is in the air. As I watch twenty or so, doing everything at once, barely pausing for rest in the oak treeContinue reading “A Flurry of Activity”
There is No Bacon in Space (Having Fun Discussing Art)
For several years I hosted an art discussion group in the Rodrigue Gallery of New Orleans. Composed of gallery staff and the occasional friend or family member, we spent a few hours once each month covering everything from the latest show at MOMA to the current buzz on Julia Street. We related at least oneContinue reading “There is No Bacon in Space (Having Fun Discussing Art)”
Color Me Happy (At the Easel)
I spent this week watching George Rodrigue at his easel. Although I’ve seen him paint hundreds of canvases over the years, the process still amazes me, as he takes a blank canvas and turns it into something else. The subject is not a still-life he interprets or a posed model; rather, he invents something fromContinue reading “Color Me Happy (At the Easel)”
The American Blue Dog
If you follow this blog, you have a good understanding of the Blue Dog’s history (and if you don’t, check out the links under ‘Popular Musings’ to the right of this post). From the loup-garou to Tiffany to Blue Dog Man and the Abstract, the image has developed in style and meaning along with GeorgeContinue reading “The American Blue Dog”
The American Cajun
For many years the Cajun’s identity was an ambivalent one. As recently as the 1970s, the label ‘Cajun’ was considered by many to be an insult. George Rodrigue’s own mother, in fact, was quick to point out her distaste for this aspect of George’s work, a twenty-five year dedication on his part: “You’re French! WhyContinue reading “The American Cajun”
Going With the Flow (the Family Flow, that is…)
I am not writing this from a ship on the Alaskan Inside Passage, nor from the fishing village of Ketchikan, nor perched on a glacier’s blue ice, nor anywhere near a family vacation three years in the planning. Of course, in this week’s unexpected theme of ‘looking on the bright side,’ I’m not writing fromContinue reading “Going With the Flow (the Family Flow, that is…)”
Blue Dog: Mixed Media
In many ways George Rodrigue is a big kid. Although he’s serious in both the application and concept of his art, he’s never denied that painting is fun. In fact, he’s famous for saying, “If it’s not fun for me, then I don’t do it.” He strives more for himself than for his audience toContinue reading “Blue Dog: Mixed Media”
Painting with Uncle George
Originally I planned to spend this post talking about George Rodrigue’s childhood in New Iberia, the fact that he was an only child, along with his lack of art influences, as well as our devotion to arts education. But I’ve covered his childhood already in previous posts, as well as the George Rodrigue Foundation ofContinue reading “Painting with Uncle George”