Category Archives: Musings of an Artist’s Wife

Jambalaya: Cajun Music in Trees

Painted fifty years ago, Rodrigue’s Jambalaya (a.k.a. Cajun Music in Trees) reflects not the popular rice dish, but rather a jumbled mixture of instruments and sounds, creating the music for a fais do do, or Cajun dance.  The painting is a classic example of Rodrigue’s early Cajun Series canvases with figures.  The tree, cut offContinue reading “Jambalaya: Cajun Music in Trees”

It’s Good to be the King (Rodrigue and the Washington Mardi Gras Ball)

In 1993, George Rodrigue’s career skyrocketed following a front page story, “How Many Dogs Can Fetch Money?,” in The Wall Street Journal (1992), along with thousands of worldwide magazine and billboard advertisements featuring his paintings for Absolut Vodka.  After twenty-five years of painting the Cajuns, the Blue Dog Series granted Rodrigue, a native of NewContinue reading “It’s Good to be the King (Rodrigue and the Washington Mardi Gras Ball)”

Mississippi’s Beautiful Blues

Douglas and I surprised ourselves once again by completing all and more that we set out to do, this time on the first-ever designated Mississippi tour, inspired by George Rodrigue’s amazing, relatable life story and poignant, impactful art. I can’t help but wonder, as I often do, how in the world did we get here?Continue reading “Mississippi’s Beautiful Blues”

Rodrigue in Santa Fe, Continued

Until now, it was 35 years ago that George Rodrigue last exhibited in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when his good friend, Rosalea Murphy, hosted an exhibition of his paintings in the apartment above her famous restaurant, The Pink Adobe. George spoke often of the unique camaraderie he enjoyed with artists such as Rosalea, her daughterContinue reading “Rodrigue in Santa Fe, Continued”

Rodrigue Sculpture in Santa Fe

George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog sculptures are amongst his greatest artistic achievements. This month, in the garden of the Acequia Madre House Museum in Santa Fe, we installed George’s first public artwork in New Mexico. The 11-foot sculpture, made of steel, aluminum, and chrome, includes a unique chatoyant effect produced by three distinct shades of automotiveContinue reading “Rodrigue Sculpture in Santa Fe”

Rodrigue on Tour! Film Clips from Florida & Alabama Schools

It was 78 years ago, on March 13, 1944, that my late husband, George Rodrigue, was born to Marie and George, Sr. in New Iberia, Louisiana. After more than twenty years of marriage, they had given up on having children. Yet along came George, who brought magic to their lives, and later, to my life,Continue reading “Rodrigue on Tour! Film Clips from Florida & Alabama Schools”

Priceless Puppies

It was twenty years ago, while halfway joking, that I surprised George Rodrigue with a white porcelain vase produced by artist Jeff Koons of his 3-D artwork, Puppy.  George was unreserved in his criticism of Koons, and yet I also sensed his fascination with the artist who, among other things, fetches millions of dollars forContinue reading “Priceless Puppies”

Walk With Me to the Future

It was while bedridden with polio that George Rodrigue (1944-2013) discovered painting. Unable to walk, and highly contagious with a disease feared by parents everywhere, he remained at home throughout much of the third grade with only his mother for company. His father, George, Sr., supported his family from the road while working as aContinue reading “Walk With Me to the Future”

Miss July Fourth at Fifty

“Paintings take on a life of their own, long after the artist is gone.” George Rodrigue, from my journal. As a young Cajun man of twenty-seven living in Lafayette, Louisiana, George Rodrigue (1944-2013) chose to express his culture’s pride in their adopted American homeland in a most unusual way. His painting of Independence Day illustratesContinue reading “Miss July Fourth at Fifty”

Teachers (And Why It Almost Didn’t Happen)

Presenting to teachers presents an unusual challenge.  After all, that is their role with their students during hundreds of classes each year.  Last week, during the Oklahoma A+ Schools “Not Your Average Conference” at the University of Central Oklahoma, teachers from seventy arts-integrated schools laughed at me, or rather with me, when I asked duringContinue reading “Teachers (And Why It Almost Didn’t Happen)”

What’s With This Dog?

George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog artworks became a phenomenon, as well as a portal to creative freedom for the artist.   On his canvas, along with drawings, sculptures, and digital expressions, the surrealist impulses within his Cajun paintings flourished beyond imaginary Louisiana settings to include the broad expanse of George’s mind, unlimited by a culture orContinue reading “What’s With This Dog?”

I Am What I Grow (Resolve to Begin)

How many times have I started essays in the seven years since George passed away only to abandon them without finishing?  Too many to count.  But this time it’s serious…  Part of my New Year’s resolution is to post at “Musings of an Artist’s Wife” (est. 2009), now a program of the Life & LegacyContinue reading “I Am What I Grow (Resolve to Begin)”

I’ve Moved! Please Join Me!

Dear Rodrigue Friends and Fans, It was 10 years ago that I started, with George’s encouragement, “Musings of an Artist’s Wife.” Today, it’s time for a change.  The more than 300 essays highlighting George Rodrigue’s history, artwork, and our life together will remain posted here as a permanent reference. All new posts, however, are inContinue reading “I’ve Moved! Please Join Me!”

Fall 2019 Life & Legacy Tour

Announcing the Life & Legacy Fall Tour, celebrating the life and art of George Rodrigue!  Please join me on a journey of ‘slow art,’ as we use George’s inspiring story and original paintings to explore the mysterious and mystical, the intuitive and emotional, and always, the beauty and joy of this precious life. -pictured:  at Loranger ElementaryContinue reading “Fall 2019 Life & Legacy Tour”

Louisiana Lawyers Go West

Turquoise Hill with its ancient turquoise mine is an enchanting place —spiritual, timeless, mysterious, and breathtaking in its beauty.  George and I visited many times over the years, beginning in the early 1990s.  We were guests of history, nature, and the mine’s incomparable owner and steward, George’s dear friend and now my husband, Douglas Magnus.Continue reading “Louisiana Lawyers Go West”

Ursuline-Cool! George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Visits the Historic New Orleans School

It was 1994, for my cousin’s wedding, when I last visited Ursuline Academy.  That I forgot their magnificent church, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, confounds me.  This spring on the George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Tour, I stood both transfixed and transported within this glorious temple to God and women andContinue reading “Ursuline-Cool! George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Visits the Historic New Orleans School”

Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art – Extended!

There’s no doubt that if George Rodrigue were here today, he would have painted for his current exhibition at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.  We talked about it some fifteen years ago as we watched the museum under construction, and again as we attended its opening exhibitions.  He dreamed of showing his work in thisContinue reading “Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art – Extended!”

Sharing George: A Video

The Life & Legacy Tour began because I felt compelled to help others experience George Rodrigue in a more personal way.  After eight months, the tour is in demand more than ever, with no end in sight!  And perhaps that’s exactly as it should be. Want to know what it’s like?  Here’s a video from Dr.Continue reading “Sharing George: A Video”

Life and Legacy

George Rodrigue’s life, art, and philanthropy touch lives every day. In a reality that, from my perspective, is both exhilarating and unsettling, I see him moving into near-mythic status, grouped in art lessons with Van Gogh, Picasso, and Matisse.  I’ve always known that he belongs with these artists —Modernist giants whose output enriches our world,Continue reading “Life and Legacy”

Don’t Slow Me Down

In the spring of 2013 George Rodrigue and I drove our truck cross-country from New Orleans, Louisiana to Carmel, California, as we had twice annually for twenty years, finding adventure on alternate routes and detours along the way.  We didn’t know that this would be our last road trip; however, we did travel with aContinue reading “Don’t Slow Me Down”

What did he look like? …A LAA+ Tour

It was last spring that a young student at The Dufrocq School, a Louisiana A+ School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana asked me the most basic of questions:  “What did he look like?” Thrown off, I could only think Where’s my phone? (in my purse) followed quickly by Where’s my purse? (on the other side of theContinue reading “What did he look like? …A LAA+ Tour”

Rodrigue Jewelry

George first created jewelry in the 1970s, hand-forming designs in clay from his images of Oak Trees and Jolie Blonde, which he reinterpreted as solid gold pendants.  Later he made for himself one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras coins featuring elements from his paintings, also in gold, and embellished with precious stones. In the 1980s George met DouglasContinue reading “Rodrigue Jewelry”

The Begneaud Collection

Since losing George in 2013, we (myself, his sons, and our staff), have made educating the public about his life and work a priority. In the galleries, we’ve focused on exhibitions that span his 45-year career, including the current installations, Rodrigue:  Blue Dog for President in New Orleans and  Rodrigue in Carmel:  Galerie Blue DogContinue reading “The Begneaud Collection”

George Rodrigue: “Fun for Me”

As Rodrigue Studio celebrates its 25th year in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, I’ve reluctantly stared memories hard in the face, piecing together, without George, a history that’s all about George.  As is the case throughout his life, a central aspect of the story exists within his artwork. “It’s got to be fun for me, or I don’tContinue reading “George Rodrigue: “Fun for Me””

Shidoni: A Friendly Greeting

I returned recently, for the first time in five years, to Shidoni, a place where George worked regularly over three decades.   Located in the lush Tesuque Valley, an oasis in the desert near Santa Fe, New Mexico, the foundry was George’s choice for some thirty years for transforming his clay sculptures into bronzes —whether three-dimensionalContinue reading “Shidoni: A Friendly Greeting”

Blue Dog Hog

George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog Hog premiered in 1994 in a New York City gallery called The Time is Always Now.  This unique three-dimensional artwork dazzled at the center of the warehouse-type space, with George’s paintings, some as large as fifteen feet across, surrounding the bike. -click photos throughout to enlarge- The exhibition coincided with theContinue reading “Blue Dog Hog”

I am Not the Artist.

Over the years countless people approached George Rodrigue with ideas for paintings.  They didn’t understand that George was original.  He was authentic. “They all think they’re the artist,” he would say, shaking his head over the umpteenth person to “have a great idea,” insisting that he paint the Blue Dog with St. Louis Cathedral orContinue reading “I am Not the Artist.”

Rodrigue Comes Home

Those of you who follow this blog know that over the past six years (goodness…..six years….) and more than 300 essays, I focus on text, with quotes from George, and a careful complement of photographs and paintings. However, after spending a whirlwind week in Louisiana, I’m ready to post quickly and then get on withContinue reading “Rodrigue Comes Home”

The Moment

“What are you thinking about?” I asked George, following hours of silence.  “The road,” he replied. After dozens of cross-country journeys together over twenty years, his answer was always the same.  So I stopped asking, and pondered, instead, his answer. George wasn’t speaking of the asphalt, although he did reminisce about old Route 66 andContinue reading “The Moment”

Magic People

“I never thought before that I was interesting, but after talking with you, I realize that I’m fascinating!” –Roz Cole In September 2013 I spent several weeks in a New York City hospital room with George Rodrigue’s longtime literary agent, Rosalind Cole.  Weak from his medication’s side effects, George couldn’t travel, and I remember wellContinue reading “Magic People”

Circle of Life: Round Paintings

As I understand it, the bright-colored mandala represents the universe; its creation in sand and its inevitable destruction represent the impermanence of life.* Some years ago I asked George Rodrigue if he would paint, for me, a meditative symbol.  He replied, naturally… “I already have.” (pictured: Circle of Life, 2002, an original silkscreen by George Rodrigue,Continue reading “Circle of Life: Round Paintings”

The Petro Brothers

“Ya’ here to look or to buy?…” …barked Bud Petro from the porch of George Rodrigue’s Jefferson Street gallery.From a rocking chair, he watched the Esso station he owned with his brother Norman, while monitoring and, according to George, “scaring away” potential Rodrigue collectors. “I couldn’t tell him to leave,” laughed George.“He was part ofContinue reading “The Petro Brothers”

Swimming Upstream

This morning George joined me in the bedroom after painting all night.  We stood at the window and watched the sunrise.      “There’s only one owl,” I whispered.      “Maybe they split up,” he replied. But we both knew better. -from The Other Side of the Painting We wanted to see the bears.Continue reading “Swimming Upstream”

Choo Choo Ch’Boogie (An Adventure)

Last year I often found George Rodrigue in his studio in the middle of the night.  He worked for weeks on the painting Choo Choo Ch’Boogie, yet instead of photographing him at his easel, I stood quietly behind and watched.  (pictured:  Choo Choo Ch’Boogie, 2013 by George Rodrigue, acrylic on canvas, 48×60 inches) At the time,Continue reading “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie (An Adventure)”

Cora’s Restaurant and CODOFIL

In 1968 attorney and former Louisiana State Senator and U.S. Representative Jimmy Domengeaux* (1907-1988) of Lafayette founded the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, known as CODOFIL. Impressed with the initiative, Louisiana Governor John McKeithen pushed through a bill that granted the organization the necessary state credentials. (pictured:  In 1912 Louisiana Governor HallContinue reading “Cora’s Restaurant and CODOFIL”

Rembrandt: A Memory

In the summer of 2005, George Rodrigue and I visited Amsterdam.  Rembrandt’s house was recently opened to the public.  Because he declared bankruptcy, a detailed list exists of his 1656 belongings, enabling today’s historians to replace every furnishing, fossil, and vase from his vast collections. Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) was an art rock star, bothContinue reading “Rembrandt: A Memory”

The Lone Artist

“The artist is involved with art as a way of life.”* George Rodrigue and I discuss often the definition of art.  We study the roles of craft, commercialism, high and low art, concluding always that there is no definitive answer, but that the fun —indeed the tradition— lies in the debates. Ideally, art reflects theContinue reading “The Lone Artist”

An Exhibition from the Other Side

This month, the State Library of Louisiana premieres an exhibition based on a new Rodrigue book, The Other Side of the Painting, on view through February 2014.  Unable to attend the November 2ndopening in Baton Rouge, George Rodrigue and I relied on curator Marney Robinson, who astonished us with her ability to fully utilize aContinue reading “An Exhibition from the Other Side”

Rodrigue Honored Tonight

On October 26, 2013, George Rodrigue receives in New Orleans the prestigious Opus Award from the Ogden Museum of Southern Art during their annual gala, O What a Night!.  Unable to attend the event, we asked Jacques Rodrigue, his fiancé Mallory Page Chastant, and André Rodrigue to accept the award on George’s behalf, and toContinue reading “Rodrigue Honored Tonight”

The Right Thing

“I hate the right thing to do…”  …grumbled my young cousin, her back to me as she descended the stairs.  This was several years ago in New Orleans, and I had just pushed her towards something that seemed terribly important at the time.  Her reaction to my vague reasoning reverberates like my own adolescent reactionContinue reading “The Right Thing”

Introducing… The Other Side

From the Introduction to The Other Side of the Painting by Wendy Rodrigue, published October 2013 by UL Press– My mom, an artist, talked me into my first Art History class, a sweeping journey from cave paintings to the start of the Renaissance.  Previously, I avoided it, thinking I preferred self-discovery through my mother’s books.  YetContinue reading “Introducing… The Other Side”

Spinning Wisdom

‘Round about, round about,             Lo and behold! Reel away, reel away,             Straw into gold!’* All my life, I’ve been drawn to women older and wiser.  I like to imagine my grandmothers, although long gone, as young girls, and I stare hard into the faces of friends, some now in their 80s, sure thatContinue reading “Spinning Wisdom”

Louisiana’s Natural Beauty: An Art Contest with the Audubon Institute

The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) announces its fifth annual Art Contest, a partnership with the Audubon Nature Institute.  This statewide opportunity for scholarships and other awards benefits Louisiana’s high school juniors and seniors, all eligible for entry, regardless of grades or college plans.  “As a student at Catholic High School in NewContinue reading “Louisiana’s Natural Beauty: An Art Contest with the Audubon Institute”

Absolut Blue Dog

It’s twenty-five years since George Rodrigue last drank alcohol,* and yet he was part of one of the most successful stories in advertising history, promoting a vodka. “Even when I did drink,” laughs the artist, “it was always bourbon or wine.  I never liked vodka.” (pictured, Absolut Rodrigue, 1993, one of three paintings created byContinue reading “Absolut Blue Dog”

A New Rodrigue Book

“To your book!” …toasted George Rodrigue and son André as we perused the first copies of the finished hardcover, The Other Side of the Painting. “I nearly forgot about it…” …I replied, moved by their acknowledgment, as I returned that day from a long journey after visiting an ill friend back east.  The book (still hardContinue reading “A New Rodrigue Book”

Galerie Blue Dog, Carmel

In 1991 George Rodrigue opened Galerie Blue Dog in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.  The one-square-mile village includes cottages, restaurants, shops and galleries, all descending westward towards the beach and Pacific Ocean. “I visited Carmel often while a student at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles during the 1960s,” recalls Rodrigue.  “As long as IContinue reading “Galerie Blue Dog, Carmel”

Gus Weill and George Rodrigue (a couple of local boys)

Why do you do what you do? Ah sir if we only knew. But the winds call And the waves toss And we follow And are lost. Ah sir if we only knew.*                         -Gus Weill, 1981 (pictured, A Couple of Local Boys, 1981, oil on canvas by George Rodrigue, 48×36 inches; collection theContinue reading “Gus Weill and George Rodrigue (a couple of local boys)”

A Blessed Life (An Irish Angel)

Last summer was challenging, as George Rodrigue faced an advanced lung cancer diagnosis and several months of treatment in Houston.  Last fall, with his disease in remission, we tied up loose ends in New Orleans and prepared for a West Coast sabbatical.  This spring, we spent weeks on the road, exploring America as we’ve doneContinue reading “A Blessed Life (An Irish Angel)”

Rocky Mountain Blues

Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, George Rodrigue, like many New Orleans artists, sought temporary venues for his work.  Even after the Rodrigue Gallery reopened in January 2006, it was several years before tourists returned strong to the city.  Local artists depend on this exposure to sell their art. In addition, although George and I experiencedContinue reading “Rocky Mountain Blues”

Rodeo Drive

Artist George Rodrigue and I attended a rodeo in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada last weekend.  The area, called Glenbrook, reminded me at first of developments like Seaside and WaterColor near my hometown of Fort Walton Beach.  Although I’m fond of these ice cream colored Florida Panhandle houses, my initial comparison was a stretch, now thatContinue reading “Rodeo Drive”

My Blues Brothers

George Rodrigue has painted several versions of the Blues Brothers since 1995.  Although all in private collections, the paintings from this series are among his most popular, famous within the pages of art books and as reproductions on the walls of the Blue Dog Café in Lafayette, Louisiana and Besh Steakhouse at Harrah’s Casino in NewContinue reading “My Blues Brothers”

Walker Percy (The Impossible Dream)

“Waking wide-eyed dreams come as fitfully as swampfire.”* Years ago artist George Rodrigue owned a camp in Butte la Rose, Louisiana on the Atchafalaya Basin.  He purchased it as a small, cabin-like structure on stilts and quickly built on bedrooms, extending a raised walkway to the river and over the swamp. -click photo to enlarge-Continue reading “Walker Percy (The Impossible Dream)”

Living in the Spotlight

“This world, he’d say, is where you live, right here you do whatever work you have to do.” –Darrell Bourque on Elemore Morgan, Jr.* Some years ago I attended alone an opening at the Arthur Roger Gallery in New Orleans featuring the latest work from Acadiana’s beloved landscape artist, Elemore Morgan, Jr. (1931-2008).  I exploredContinue reading “Living in the Spotlight”

Shiny Happy Blue Dog

“We mortals are but shadows and dust.” –Proximo, Gladiator Recently, while shopping for skinny jeans and day-glo tees with my sister and cousin, I time-warped to the 1980s when flashy jewelry, exaggerated shoulders, and acrylic fingernails prevailed.  For a while, subtle feminine style seemed lost forever. George Rodrigue has never been subtle, in his ideas,Continue reading “Shiny Happy Blue Dog”

Rodrigue Collaborates

When it comes to painting, George Rodrigue is a loner.  In recent months, he embraces full time the isolated setting of his Carmel Valley studio.  The limited interruptions and lack of social commitments on this quiet California hill settle the artist into a near-obsessed dedication to his canvas and ideas.  Ironically, however, it’s Louisiana thatContinue reading “Rodrigue Collaborates”

Footnote (He Stopped Loving Her Today)

In George Rodrigue’s latest painting, He Stopped Loving Her Today, Jolie Blonde’s hat sits alongside an above-ground tomb, the same type of vault his father installed in New Iberia, Louisiana as part of the family business. “I wanted to paint a tribute to George Jones (1931-2013),” explains Rodrigue.  “I’ve loved this song for thirty years,Continue reading “Footnote (He Stopped Loving Her Today)”

The Breaux Bridge Band

Painted in 1971, The Breaux Bridge Band is a classic among George Rodrigue’s paintings.  Along with similar works from this period, it defines his style as a pictorial champion of the Cajun culture, recording snapshots of time within turn-of-the-century Southwest Louisiana.  Ironically, however, it is only on the artist’s canvas, and not in reality, thatContinue reading “The Breaux Bridge Band”

Blue Dog at the Movies

Since childhood, George Rodrigue has loved the movies.  It’s the reason, along with Saints and LSU football, that his studio doubles as a theatre, and why most nights he paints to the backdrop of Turner Classic Movies.  He returns to his favorites, The Searchers and Lonesome Dove, repeatedly.  And he spent his teenage years paintingContinue reading “Blue Dog at the Movies”

Sacred Stones

While walking on Carmel Beach last week, I stashed, a bit guiltily, in my sweater pocket, a stone.  It was cool and smooth and felt good in my hand, as I did what I always do when faced with a vista:  refocused. It wasn’t until a few days later that I wore again my comfortContinue reading “Sacred Stones”

Dance with Me, George!

“What do you do here?” ….asked George Jones of George Rodrigue at a Lafayette, Louisiana Mercedes dealership, as Jones shopped a new car and Rodrigue awaited repairs on his 1978 diesel station wagon. “I’m an artist,” he replied.           “Oh yeah?” said Jones.  “What do you sing?” Rodrigue recalls the countryContinue reading “Dance with Me, George!”

Looking for a Beach House

George Rodrigue’s first print of 2013 breaks new ground for the artist.  Partial to silkscreens for his Blue Dog designs, he ventures instead into complex lithography, channeling printmaking giants of the past. “It’s the first print I’ve created for the gallery that’s truly an original lithograph made from twenty-two plates, printed on stone, in theContinue reading “Looking for a Beach House”

America, Unexpected

Oftentimes I wince at the question, Where are you from?.  Unless the person asking lives somewhere between Houston and Atlanta, they probably associate Florida with Disney World and Miami Beach— nice places, but not the Emerald Coast of my childhood. I mumble to anyone who’ll listen outside of the Gulf South that I’m sort ofContinue reading “America, Unexpected”

The Silent West

“This cloud looks like a crawfish…”  …whispered artist George Rodrigue from the back door of our desert hideaway, speaking the first words from either of us in hours.  Within this southern Utah escape we study the sharp edge of mountains against the bluest blue sky at day, their shadowed outline at dusk, and at night,Continue reading “The Silent West”

The American Indian in Louisiana

As George Rodrigue and I explored ancient Indian mounds in northeast Louisiana, the sun in my eyes and warm, wind-blown hair in my face, I accidentally turned to an old page in my notebook covered with scribbles from an earlier adventure.  Unaware of my mistake, I wrote, Each ridge 4-6 ft high when built, 50Continue reading “The American Indian in Louisiana”

Blue Dog: A Life of Its Own

“Feel the dignity of a child. Do not feel superior to him, for you are not.” – Robert Henri It was in Hollywood, ironically, that George Rodrigue and I reflected recently on the Blue Dog in a new way.  We learned of a school in southern California that used the styles of art world mastersContinue reading “Blue Dog: A Life of Its Own”

The Other Side of the Painting

Oftentimes it takes others to point out our achievements.  What begins as small and for oneself can become something else.  George Rodrigue paints today with confidence, sure of both his brushstrokes and direction.  His paintings are steps towards expounding his vision, whether within a specific series or his career’s oeuvre. But this was not alwaysContinue reading “The Other Side of the Painting”

The Big Picture

As a result of last summer’s sidetrack, George Rodrigue and I missed our annual time in Carmel, California, returning just this week for a year, maybe two, as we seek something still ill-defined.  We have yet to analyze his near-death experience or rather, our second chance, referring often to the excuse, “it’s still too new,”Continue reading “The Big Picture”

The Lost Painting (Festivals Acadiens)

In this computer age, Rodrigue Studio retains detailed records of art purchases, occasionally borrowing paintings from collectors for public exhibition.  However, prior to the late 1990s, records were partial, hand-kept and often lost.  People move, and paintings sell or pass to descendants.  Some works exchange hands through private sale, and unless the art appears atContinue reading “The Lost Painting (Festivals Acadiens)”

Tee Teddie (Won’t You Be My Teddy Bear?)

At 4×3 feet, Tee Teddie is anything but tee.  The painting, begun in 1995 and completed in 2013, first hung in Café Tee George, artist George Rodrigue’s original Lafayette restaurant, which was replaced by the Blue Dog Café after burning in 1997.  Tee Teddie was the only painting to escape the flames, while interpretations ofContinue reading “Tee Teddie (Won’t You Be My Teddy Bear?)”

Rodrigue’s Cajun Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is not just about New Orleans.  Cities like Mobile, AL, Galveston, TX and my hometown of Fort Walton Beach, FL also celebrate.  In Louisiana, dozens of small towns host Mardi Gras parades and celebrations every year. Long before his Mardi Gras posters, George Rodrigue painted the tradition on his own, recording favorite stories andContinue reading “Rodrigue’s Cajun Mardi Gras”

Life Lessons and an Art Contest

George Rodrigue entered two art contests in his life and failed at both. By ‘failed,’ I’m not talking about losses, but more significant that he was disqualified or learned a hard lesson about cheating. “Nothing in life is fair,” my mother used to say, and maybe she was right. But in the end perhaps that’sContinue reading “Life Lessons and an Art Contest”

King Marion

For sixty-five years, the Krewe of Louisianians, comprised of the seven congressional districts of the State of Louisiana, has hosted a private Mardi Gras for 5,000 people in Washington, D.C.  The three-day celebration includes the best examples of Louisiana’s food and music, while honoring its young women as princesses and festival queens.  The Mardi GrasContinue reading “King Marion”

Blue Dog, The Book

“To find her you must lose her.  The Blue Dog knows the way.” –Blue Dog, 1994 In March of 1992 journalist Bridget O’Brian interviewed George Rodrigue for an article, front page, center column, in The Wall Street Journal. Although George had no control over the content, O’Brian allowed him one special request.  Without hesitating, heContinue reading “Blue Dog, The Book”

Cajuns, The Book

By the mid-1970s George Rodrigue painted on average forty canvases per year, all scenes of Cajun folk-life stemming from his first painting with people, Aioli Dinner (1971), while incorporating the distinctive oak trees from his landscapes. Although he rented a gallery in Lafayette, Louisiana, he sold most of his work on the road in Houston, Dallas,Continue reading “Cajuns, The Book”

George Rodrigue’s Creature from the Black Lagoon

Update, 9/25/13:  Pictured below, George Rodrigue with his new version of the Creature, a one-of-a-kind piece on chrome, made for his private collection; click photo to enlarge- In the early 1950s, it was the movies more than television that made the biggest impact on mainstream American culture.  Today during school visits, I describe this environmentContinue reading “George Rodrigue’s Creature from the Black Lagoon”

The Daughters of André Chastant

Like ghosts of Evangeline, André Chastant’s daughters float brilliant in white and framed within the landscape of southwest Louisiana.  The painting, a combination of photograph and imagination, is my favorite from George Rodrigue’s Cajun period.  These daughters are not posed around their father as though for a photograph.  Rather, they exist as one unit, aContinue reading “The Daughters of André Chastant”

Some Like It Hot

George Rodrigue’s newest artwork, Some Like It Hot, pays tribute to Marilyn Monroe, a golden icon of the silver screen and public fantasy.  He frames her with a bold design of color and shape, including his own icons, the Blue and Red Dogs. (pictured, Some Like It Hot, 2012 by George Rodrigue, 26×40 inches, silkscreenContinue reading “Some Like It Hot”

Blue Dog Oak (Old Friends)

Update August 9, 2013:  George Rodrigue (pictured below) inspects the proof for his new hand-pulled stone lithograph based on Blue Dog Oak, printing now in Paris, France.  For purchase details, contact Rodrigue Studio.   For more on this process, see the post, “Looking for a Beach House,” describing another print made in this way. GeorgeContinue reading “Blue Dog Oak (Old Friends)”

Yoga: One Essay Only

“Yoga relaxes me,” says George Rodrigue.  “The minute Wendy starts her practice, I fall asleep.” Recently a friend asked me why I never blog about yoga.  For fifteen years the practice infiltrates every part of my life, assisting me with decisions, anxiety, injuries, and relationships. I promise, George, that if I attend this silent retreat,Continue reading “Yoga: One Essay Only”

A Cajun in Carmel

Blue Dog artist George Rodrigue finds inspiration on the Monterey Peninsula- It was twenty-two years ago that artist George Rodrigue (b. 1944) opened his gallery in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.  One of only two locations* in the country, the artist-owned Rodrigue Studio operates the same way today as it did years ago.  Despite Rodrigue’s increasing fame, heContinue reading “A Cajun in Carmel”

I’m a Writer!

“All I see is that you’re writing with a pen.  Yay!!!” Author Patty Friedmann cheered the hand-written word after seeing the photo below.  It was December 2010, and I scribbled on the pages of a purse-size artsy notebook, purchased annually in multiples from the Morgan Library museum shop.  George Rodrigue photographed me as I satContinue reading “I’m a Writer!”

Paintin’ Shrimp Boats and Pickin’ Crabs

“Shrimp boats is a-comin’; there’s dancin’ tonight!”* After many months indoors, George Rodrigue and I ease cautiously yet eagerly this fall into adventure.  Here in south Louisiana, diversion awaits in exploring small towns, riding an airboat, or simply walking on the nearest levee.   Our last adventure, some six months ago, took us past Lafayette toContinue reading “Paintin’ Shrimp Boats and Pickin’ Crabs”

Sunshine and Love: New Paintings

After six months away from his easel, George Rodrigue returns this fall to his instincts, painting throughout the quiet nights in solitude.  The canvases, dominated by a Blue Dog and oftentimes a typical Rodrigue oak, are familiar, yet something is different in the feeling behind the images.  To the point, something is different in hisContinue reading “Sunshine and Love: New Paintings”

Going Home Again….for Art

In 1952 in New Iberia, Louisiana, George Rodrigue (b. 1944) remained sick in bed for six months. I explained this week to a group of young students on the Florida Panhandle that he suffered from polio, a contagious disease affecting his ability to walk.  He couldn’t attend school or play outside. Imagine poor little George withoutContinue reading “Going Home Again….for Art”

The Patchwork Gift

In 1978 George Rodrigue tackled a 5×7 foot canvas, piecing together a group of women at a church quilting party, a common Acadian gathering during the 1940s and 1950s.  The ambitious project includes twenty figures, including a portrait of the painting’s new owner with her child, all gathered beneath Rodrigue’s typical Louisiana oaks. -click photoContinue reading “The Patchwork Gift”

Walker Percy, Sylvester Stallone and the Blue Dog

Update, 2/1/13- Due to the popularity of this exhibition, it is now extended through August 31, 2013. During his forty-five year career, George Rodrigue has painted more than one hundred portraits, everything from his family to U.S. Presidents.  One series in particular, however, stands out as a select group of award-winning authors and scholars, paintedContinue reading “Walker Percy, Sylvester Stallone and the Blue Dog”

Blue Fall in Louisiana

“When they showed me my body, it was blue,” explained George Rodrigue to a friend this week.  “Nothing dark, no patches, they were all gone.” I overheard him on the phone and my ears picked up, not because I hadn’t seen the scan, but because I hadn’t thought of his body as blue, and IContinue reading “Blue Fall in Louisiana”

Harouni Paints Rodrigue

Recently artist David Harouni painted a portrait of George Rodrigue, a special request by mutual friends Kerry and Tiffa Boutte of New Orleans.  Known for his powerful painted Heads, usually his own, Harouni traces his life’s journey, the imprints of memory and experience, layering and scraping paint in a process both concealing and revealing. BornContinue reading “Harouni Paints Rodrigue”

The Acrylic Landscape

George Rodrigue, known worldwide for his Blue Dog canvases, began painting in 1968 not bright-colored dogs but near-black trees.  His devotion to the Louisiana landscape remains an anchor within his art throughout forty-five years of Cajuns, Portraits and Blue Dogs, most of which include the now recognized Rodrigue Oak. His landscapes today, although rooted inContinue reading “The Acrylic Landscape”

Painting (and Living?) Again

George Rodrigue and I returned to New Orleans early August as though our old lives were a dream. It’s hard to believe we threw parties in this house, I mused, as we settled into our sofa and BBC television. “I barely remember going out to dinner,” countered George. Meanwhile, artist Glenda Banta asked me on-lineContinue reading “Painting (and Living?) Again”

Dogs in Space

“I dropped the Cajun influence, just painting a Blue Dog, and I wondered, What does that mean?” –George Rodrigue It was the painting Loup-garouof 1991 that altered the Blue Dog concept for George Rodrigue, as he abandoned his oak trees and Cajun figures for the first time since the late 1960s.  Although he painted theContinue reading “Dogs in Space”

Courage for Our Friends

After ten weeks in Houston, George Rodrigue and I returned today to New Orleans for a bittersweet homecoming, as we change our undesired summer’s routine, while leaving behind the people who shared our experience, the people we grew to love. It’s weird, I said to George a few weeks into our summer, it’s not likeContinue reading “Courage for Our Friends”

Louisiana Legends

Between 1990 and 1993 artist George Rodrigue painted sixteen portraits on three canvases of Living Legends for Louisiana Public Broadcasting.  The 1990 honorees and Rodrigue’s tribute painting launched an LPB tradition continuing today. All proceeds from posters of the three paintings benefited LPB’s television programming. “At the gala,” recalls Rodrigue, “each nominee gave a shortContinue reading “Louisiana Legends”

Success

This week I read Just Kids, poet/rocker Patti Smith’s personal account of life with her closest friend, artist/photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.  I had planned an essay on Louisiana’s Legends, a series of portraits completed by George Rodrigue for Public Broadcasting between 1990 and 1993, but after finishing Smith’s memoir late Thursday night, I suffered Friday aContinue reading “Success”

Starry Starry Eyes: A Runaway Hit

In 1991 George Rodrigue’s printed artwork bolted forward with new color and precision as he applied the latest in ink and technology to his silkscreens.  This was a substantial advancement over his earlier Cajun posters and Blue Dog silkscreens.  For the first time he created complex original print designs using intense hues. Prior to theContinue reading “Starry Starry Eyes: A Runaway Hit”

A Star-spangled Blue Dog (from Houston)

Happy 4th of July! It’s an odd one, this middle of the week celebration, but perhaps that awkward timing renews enthusiasm, as folks have big plans, including barbeques and neighborhood parties despite the hottest summer on record.  We spied decorations in unexpected places, and for the first time ever received gifts and cards as weContinue reading “A Star-spangled Blue Dog (from Houston)”

Summer Distractions

“I know what your problem is, Wendy,” noted Heather, as she endured, as sisters do, my somewhatminor, but nevertheless ridiculous, breakdown over exceedingly minor things. A whiny, determined adolescent wins out occasionally, lurking, pouting, and stewing within my, one-would-hope, adult mind over dumb stuff. I am not exchanging a three-year old print purchase for theContinue reading “Summer Distractions”

Dog in a Box

In yoga, I spent years within our bedroom practicing tree pose, standing on one leg, arms stretching skyward, until I balanced with ease.  Yet at my first attempt outside, at the edge of our patio in Carmel Valley, California, I fell.  Breaking my own rule, I donned my glasses, focusing on a distant tree, andContinue reading “Dog in a Box”

Clifton Chenier and a Cajun Explosion

In 1985 George Rodrigue painted the great musician Clifton Chenier (1925-1987).  At the time, Chenier was world-famous, crowned a Grammy Award winner in 1983 and summoned everywhere from San Francisco to Switzerland to share his unique Louisiana sound. Rodrigue’s timing in painting the portrait honors Chenier not only for his music, but also for hisContinue reading “Clifton Chenier and a Cajun Explosion”

Hopeful (Discomfort)

“Medicine is an art, not a science,” explained a friend recently, as I struggled with misdiagnoses and conflicting reports. “Fifteen people looked at my wife’s images,” he continued, “and only one analyzed it correctly.” (pictured, Dr. Dog, a 7-foot mixed media on chrome, from the collection of Lafayette General Hospital as part of the GeorgeContinue reading “Hopeful (Discomfort)”

Landlocked Pirogues & Blue Dog’s Eyes (The Art of Improvisation)

“People are moving in time and in history, in a pirogue, on land…”  …wrote George Rodrigue in 1975 about his painting, John Courrege’s Pirogue. The painting is one of seventy-eight images featured in the book The Cajuns of George Rodrigue, the first book published nationally on the Cajun culture (Oxmoor House, 1976, detailed here).  FromContinue reading “Landlocked Pirogues & Blue Dog’s Eyes (The Art of Improvisation)”

Aunt Wendy and the Cones

It was five years ago that our nephews, age four and six, summoned me from the kitchen where, while cooking dinner, I strained my ears towards their whispers in the den.  What on earth?,  I thought, imagining the content of this intense powwow: How do we change Aunt Wendy’s mind about Transformers?  How does the tooth fairyContinue reading “Aunt Wendy and the Cones”

Crawfish Dreams and Artist Friends

George Rodrigue loves crawfish primarily as a symbol of Cajun culture.  The shellfish itself is deadly to him, inducing a closed throat and limited breathing. “Soon after I did my crawfish festival poster, I developed practically overnight an allergy to crawfish.  Even the smell of the boil leaves me wheezing and my wife running forContinue reading “Crawfish Dreams and Artist Friends”

Rodrigue’s Bicentennial Poster

George Rodrigue painted the Aioli Dinner in 1971 based on photographs of a gourmet dinner club, the Creole Gourmet Society.  This was his first painting with people, and during the six months that he painted their portraits and a landscape on this single canvas, he developed a style uniquely his own and recognizable today, fortyContinue reading “Rodrigue’s Bicentennial Poster”

Blue Dog on the Defensive

Twenty-two years ago I moved from New Orleans to Carmel-by-the-Sea, an easy decision even for a gal with little knowledge of California beyond The Grapes of Wrath (hardly a ringing endorsement).  In the tiny artist’s village I grew, over time, a little less naïve, facing the controversy naturally attached to an art gallery full ofContinue reading “Blue Dog on the Defensive”

Museum News (Rodrigue on the Walls)

Updated with additional exhibitions, August 1, 2012- If you were lucky enough to see the Rodrigue retrospective exhibitions in 2007 in Memphis and 2008 in New Orleans, then you know the power of such shows.  For those who sought the Blue Dog, the Cajuns and Portraits piqued their interest, as they learned of Rodrigue’s twenty-fiveContinue reading “Museum News (Rodrigue on the Walls)”

Blue Dog and Intellectual Property (Guest Blog Entry)

Guest blog entry by Jacques Rodrigue, George Rodrigue’s son.  He currently serves as House Counsel for Rodrigue Studio and Executive Director of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts.  He is a graduate of Tulane Law School in New Orleans.  Greetings everyone!  Jacques Rodrigue here.  Wendy is taking a much-deserved break this week from bloggingContinue reading “Blue Dog and Intellectual Property (Guest Blog Entry)”

Who Will She Be Today?

George Rodrigue’s newest silkscreen, Who Will She Be Today?, is a rare style among his prints.  Only a handful of his Blue Dog works on paper originate with paintings.  Usually, as explained in the post “Silkscreens,” he creates the design on tracing paper or, more often, within his computer, printing an original image unrelated toContinue reading “Who Will She Be Today?”

Washington Blue Dog (and the Blue Dog Democrats)

In 1992 George Rodrigue painted Washington Blue Dog, a tribute to the United States of America’s capitol, Washington, DC.  The painting is one of his most famous.  Its prints hang in the offices of Blue Dog Democrats and their affiliates, an obvious choice for the group.  The original oil on canvas (48×60 inches), owned byContinue reading “Washington Blue Dog (and the Blue Dog Democrats)”

The Human in the Painting

“She was like a woman of Leonardo da Vinci’s, whom we love not so much for herself as for the things that she will not tell us.” –Cecil Vyse, A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, 1908 Certain paintings, particularly a certain era of paintings, transport us, if we let them, to another ageContinue reading “The Human in the Painting”

Moonstruck, Madame Butterfly and the Mudlark

“Bring me the big knife; I’m gonna cut my throat!”* Several nights ago, as we walked in a chilly, blowing drizzle across the street from the Metropolitan Opera, I stopped, even as the crosswalk sign suggested we proceed. “What are you doing?” asked George Rodrigue, as I explained that I saw Cher in my head,Continue reading “Moonstruck, Madame Butterfly and the Mudlark”

Our Anniversary

Fifteen years ago today, George Rodrigue and I married beneath a Louisiana live oak, the same Evangeline-style tree he’s painted for years, in Rip Van Winkle Gardens at Jefferson Island, Louisiana.  It was a stormy day, and yet the sun emerged just long enough, as we exchanged our vows.  “It seems like yesterday,” said George’sContinue reading “Our Anniversary”

The Mamou Riding Academy: Fact or Fiction

“One summer a German mule trader struggled to sell his last white mule.  A farmer finally bought it for his daughter, and the daughter liked it so much that her friends each wanted one.  In the end, the mule trader sold nine mules to nine fathers of nine little girls.” That’s the story of theContinue reading “The Mamou Riding Academy: Fact or Fiction”

All Hail King George

George Rodrigue makes a great King.  I hear it every year as we attend the Washington D.C. Mardi Gras, where he ruled in 1994 and still commands regal respect. (pictured, It’s Good to be the King, 1994, acrylic on canvas) This royal interest started in his childhood, in the late 1940s.  George’s first memory, inContinue reading “All Hail King George”

MUSE-ings from a Mardi Gras Float

If ever there was a reason for lasik…, I thought to myself as I struggled with my glasses, barely touching my nose over enormous feathered hot pink eyelashes and a mandatory mask, all negotiated around a plunger-like stocking cap and a bouffant Big Bird-yellow Fifi Mahony’s custom-designed wig. (George Rodrigue designed t-shirts as a giftContinue reading “MUSE-ings from a Mardi Gras Float”

Painting Like a Child… Again

“Creating art in a childlike manner means to be simple and direct, resulting in immediate imagery.” –George Rodrigue Since founding the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) in 2009, George Rodrigue has visited dozens of schools and thousands of children across Louisiana, Northwest Florida and Little Rock, Arkansas.*  Through GRFA he fulfills his needContinue reading “Painting Like a Child… Again”

Four for Mardi Gras

It’s impossible to live in the Gulf South and ignore Mardi Gras.  It spreads from Galveston to the Florida Panhandle, affecting our judgment, so that ‘normal’ becomes beads, wigs, costumes and masks.  (pictured, Four for Mardi Gras, 2012, 24×38 inches, edition 190) In New Orleans we expect parade traffic most evenings and all weekends, shruggingContinue reading “Four for Mardi Gras”

Swamp Dogs: A Series on Metal

More than a year in the making, George Rodrigue’s Swamp Dogs combine print, photography and varnish on large sheets of metal, resulting in a unique perspective of the Louisiana landscape. Beyond materials, however, the series originates with two stories.  Rodrigue, a Cajun artist for forty-five years, illustrates Louisiana lore including not only the loup-garou, butContinue reading “Swamp Dogs: A Series on Metal”

Farewell to Exhibitions; Welcome to Painting

George Rodrigue and I spent much of the past eighteen months on the road visiting museums and communities for exhibitions, lectures, and education events coordinated by the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) and the New Orleans Museum of Art, which organized the tour as part of its 100th birthday celebration.  Locations included BatonContinue reading “Farewell to Exhibitions; Welcome to Painting”

George Rodrigue: Painting Louisiana

Note:  Based on an essay scheduled for publication in an upcoming book* celebrating Louisiana’s bicentennial, published in April 2012 by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, this blog version includes added images, as well as links throughout, referring you to specific relevant posts and websites. Born and raised in New Iberia, Louisiana, George Rodrigue (b.Continue reading “George Rodrigue: Painting Louisiana”

The Working Artist

Note:  Throughout this post I sprinkled images by Louisiana artists.  Some I interviewed and some not, but all are included in the book The Bicentennial History of Art in Louisiana.*  As I wrote, I thought of the text and images as two separate statements, not necessarily related.  In other words, unless specifically noted, all artistContinue reading “The Working Artist”

Victory on Bayou St. John

“The brave young men rode onto the beaches and into battle on Higgins Boats, built in New Orleans by Andrew Higgins, the man Eisenhower said, ‘won the war for us.’” —Stephen Ambrose Yet these two American giants of World War II never met. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) eventually became President of the United States (1953-1961); however,Continue reading “Victory on Bayou St. John”

Hiding From the Blues

Recently I challenged George Rodrigue:  Pretend I’m a stranger and answer some questions. “Do you ever get the Blues?” “No, I really don’t, at least not on my own,” he said.  “But I do catch the Blues from others.” “Like your wife?” I asked.  But I already knew the answer. (pictured, The Red Cover-Up, 2010, acrylicContinue reading “Hiding From the Blues”

LSU Football: A Personal History

I attended a small college, Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.  In the mid-1980s we had maybe two thousand students.  Although we had a football team, I don’t recall any games.  We had a Greek system, but I evaded that as well, opting instead for extra classes and the AIDS suicide hotline. In short, IContinue reading “LSU Football: A Personal History”

The Secret of Pirate Lafitte’s Gold

“O’er the glad waters of the dark blue sea, Our thoughts as boundless, and our souls as free, Far as the breeze can hear, the billows foam, Survey our empire and behold our home!”  –Lord Byron, 1814, The Corsair By 1974 George Rodrigue pursued a unique, self-invented style of American genre painting, typified by hardContinue reading “The Secret of Pirate Lafitte’s Gold”

A Cajun in California

It was ten years ago that George Rodrigue built his studio in the hills of Carmel Valley, California.  Since that time, although we live most of the year in New Orleans, ninety percent of his work comes from this peaceful home on the West Coast, an escape from everything but nature and painting. -click photosContinue reading “A Cajun in California”

I Ain’t No Cartoon Dog

The Blue Dog is not a cartoon.  It is a shape that interacts with other shapes, not characters, all according to George Rodrigue’s artistic eye. There are no speech bubbles coming from its mouth.  Although it delivers a message, its exchange is a silent and mysterious communication between its golden saucers and our eyes. (pictured,Continue reading “I Ain’t No Cartoon Dog”

Popular Art: Famous Paintings by George Rodrigue

During our recent tours in north Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle, the question arose several times regarding George Rodrigue’s most popular paintings. “My favorite painting,” he’s quick to reply, “is always the one I’m working on now.” (pictured, George Rodrigue at his easel in Carmel Valley, California, 10/6/11) But for the rest of us, humanContinue reading “Popular Art: Famous Paintings by George Rodrigue”

Go North (to Shreveport) and Learn

Shreveport often gets a bum rap.  “It’s east Texas,” claim many, as though that’s a bad thing.  This Red River city fights for not only Louisiana’s embrace, but also the South’s. And yet Shreveport, along with nearby north Louisiana cities such as Natchitoches and Bossier City, cheers on the Saints and LSU.  They talk aboutContinue reading “Go North (to Shreveport) and Learn”

An Artist’s Wife ( … okay, now on facebook)

“To be an enthusiast had become her social vocation and, sometimes even when she did not feel like it, she became enthusiastic in order not to disappoint the expectations of those who knew her.”* (pictured above and below, sharing the art of George Rodrigue with Baton Rouge students during a drawing workshop last weekend atContinue reading “An Artist’s Wife ( … okay, now on facebook)”

Talk About Good!

In 1979 George Rodrigue loaned twenty of his Cajun paintings for use in Talk About Good II, a cookbook produced by the Junior League of Lafayette, Louisiana.  The paintings introduce the book’s chapters and include dinner scenes, seafood preparations and Cajun characters, each complemented by Rodrigue’s brief descriptions. Rodrigue writes about the cover, Kiss MeContinue reading “Talk About Good!”

Honesty, an Image for Peace

Following 9/11, George Rodrigue, like people everywhere, remained shell-shocked for years over the hatred that spawned a terrorist attack.  Although he painted God Bless America in direct response, the tragedy of that day and the desire to help, to change the world even in some small way, resonated long after. The success of the GodContinue reading “Honesty, an Image for Peace”

Rodrigue on the Red River

George Rodrigue has a long history with Shreveport, a northern Louisiana city oftentimes dismissed by southern Louisiana as ‘east Texas.’  As a child, Rodrigue’s own family, in fact, ignored this important part of Louisiana’s culture: “Growing up in New Iberia,” says George Rodrigue, “our travel plans meant east to New Orleans or Biloxi, or westContinue reading “Rodrigue on the Red River”

Chef Paul Prudhomme

If George Rodrigue has a chef’s counterpart, it’s Paul Prudhomme. They grew up in the relatively close Cajun towns of New Iberia and Opelousas, Louisiana. As young boys both pursued their passions as career goals, determined to hone their talents and define their lives with innovative, bold and personal contributions to the art of paintingContinue reading “Chef Paul Prudhomme”

Inspired by Louisiana and Scale (New Paintings)

George Rodrigue’s newest paintings, his most important collection in years coming out of New Orleans, are huge, most 4×6 feet or larger.  Normally he paints in his studio in Carmel Valley, California, with long days at his easel and, aside from the occasional houseguest, few interruptions.  This year for the first time in more thanContinue reading “Inspired by Louisiana and Scale (New Paintings)”

White Linen Night, the Unexpected

Updated 8/1/13:  Don’t miss White Linen Night 2013 on Saturday, August 3rd, featuring the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts in the New Orleans Arts District.  Details at this link.  ….Followed by Dirty Linen Night at the Rodrigue Gallery, 730 Royal Street on Saturday, August 10th, 2013; details here. I wouldn’t exactly call it aContinue reading “White Linen Night, the Unexpected”

The Spirit of the Next Hero

“I’m a naïve surrealist,” said George Rodrigue in 1985, “not a sports artist.” This week George Rodrigue unveils his large-scale painting The Spirit of the Next Hero, on view for the first time since he painted it in 1985 as the official poster for the National Sports Festival, an annual event renamed the U.S. OlympicContinue reading “The Spirit of the Next Hero”

Expectations in Baton Rouge

I’ve pondered how to write about this past weekend without turning my blog into a society page of party pics from the Louisiana State University Museum of Art’s opening for “Blue Dogs and Cajuns on the River.”  But it seems there’s no way around it.  Everyone was there, snapping photographs, posing for TV cameras, and eatingContinue reading “Expectations in Baton Rouge”

Okaloosa Island

The white sands of Okaloosa Island encompass only 875 acres, a narrow, three-mile stretch of land between Fort Walton Beach and Destin in the Florida Panhandle.  Although part of the larger Santa Rosa Island, reaching forty miles to Navarre Beach, Okaloosa Island remains isolated from the larger area, a military training ground reserved by theContinue reading “Okaloosa Island”

Gator Aid (Nude Swamp Women)

George Rodrigue and I are in Las Vegas this weekend, enjoying a three-day vacation before the much-anticipated, happy chaos of the upcoming Baton Rouge exhibition, opening July 23rd with a series of events at the Louisiana State University Museum of Art. For that reason, I’m keeping my blog light-and-easy, with mostly pictures and a fewContinue reading “Gator Aid (Nude Swamp Women)”