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Round the Mulberry Bush framed copy

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RodrigueApr2022.003

Taking Care of Business-framed

BlueDog.Dec2021.001 copy

George Rodrigue

1944-2013. Born and raised in southwest Louisiana, “Cajun Country,” George Rodrigue preserved on his canvas what he feared was his dying heritage — including its land, people, traditions and mythology. It was a Cajun legend, the loup-garou, that spawned his most famous series,

The Blue Dog.

Read about George Rodrigue

George Rodrigue in Studio

“I grew up feeling a strong relationship to the old things, to the old culture, and I got a stronger feeling when I went to Los Angeles to school. I really started to understand how different I was and how different my Louisiana was.”

George Rodrigue Biography

George Rodrigue Timelne

George Rodrigue Today

Available Work

Original Paintings by George Rodrigue

Original Paintings

Original Paintings by George Rodrigue

Original Paintings

Signed Silkscreens by George Rodrigue

Signed Prints

Estate Stamped Prints by George Rodrigue

Estate Stamped Prints

Jewelry by George Rodrigue

Jewelry

Rare Editions by George Rodrigue

Rare Selections

Galleries

Exhibitions

George Rodrigue Exhibitions

News & Events

NEW PRINT RELEASE: BLUE DOG, BLUE SEA

Blue Dog, Blue Sea, designed in 1995 by George Rodrigue, is a newly released print in 2022. This Estate Edition of 225 measures 24 x 24 inches and is available for purchase from Rodrigue Studios or online. George Rodrigue fondly recalled his childhood visits to the Mississippi Gulf Coast with […]

I’ve always approached painting knowing that my job is not to make an accurate representation of a subject–

IT’S GOT TO TRANSCEND THAT.

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To create his Blue Dog Series, George Rodrigue ...

May 26

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To create his Blue Dog Series, George Rodrigue com

To create his Blue Dog Series, George Rodrigue combined several concepts over three decades of development --- the "loup-garou" or Cajun were wolf; the shape of his dog Tiffany (pictured c. 1979) as revealed in this specific, head-on photograph; and, most important, through his constant creative work to evolve the imagery.

Texas businessman, Don Sanders purchased his first...

May 24

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Texas businessman, Don Sanders purchased his first

Texas businessman, Don Sanders purchased his first Rodrigue painting in 2000, and for the next 13 years he and George Rodrigue built a lasting friendship. Sanders continued to collect the artist’s work, amassing one of the largest privately held collections of the work of Rodrigue. Yet as full as his collection was, it was chiefly comprised of works from the Blue Dog and Hurricane series, thus Sanders expressed his desire to have some Cajun paintings to round out his collection. With none currently available in 2010, Rodrigue painted this painting for his good friend.

However, presented with health problems in the late 1980s brought on by the harsh chemicals in the oil paints and spray varnish, the artist was advised by his doctors to abandon oil paints. His only recourse was to switch exclusively to acrylic paints, a water-based pigment that was fast-drying and produced far brighter and more intense colors than the oils. By the late 1990s, Rodrigue was completely comfortable with this new medium.

Over his career, George Rodrigue painted the Cajun legend “Jolie Blonde” more than a hundred times, using a number of models. One of the models that appears frequently in the role of this pretty blonde legend is Carolyn Jones, (see 2/2 photo) the daughter of a Shreveport collector, whom Rodrigue photographed extensively in a number of settings. The original painting, Jolie Blonde with Rose (1979) is held in a private collection; this second painting was altered just slightly, including the addition of another rose therefore playfully titled by the artist, Jolie Blonde - Two Roses Are Better Than One.

This work contains all the elements of a typical portrait of Jolie Blonde, including the oak tree which is cut off at the top, thus forming interesting shapes where the branches meet with the sky, and the mysterious light source. She is seen in three-quarter view, and wears a white dress that shines brightly against the dark background.

Jolie Blonde - Two Roses are Better than One
2010
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 20 inches
Newly available at Rodrigue Studios. Learn more by contacting us at link in bio.

“Sometimes I incorporate the Blue Dog with the ...

May 23

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“Sometimes I incorporate the Blue Dog with the o

“Sometimes I incorporate the Blue Dog with the old Cajun landscape that I used to paint. But I put a new twist on it, relating the contemporary Blue Dog to the old style. I like to look back…" -George Rodrigue

GOOD MORNING ACADIANA
2010/2017
Stone lithograph designed by George Rodrigue and released posthumously
Printed in Paris, France
Numbered Edition of 90
Official Rodrigue Estate Stamp
25×25 inches
Available at Rodrigue Studios and online here at link in bio

The painting "Moonstruck" pictured on ...

May 21

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The painting "Moonstruck" pictured on George Rodri

The painting "Moonstruck" pictured on George Rodrigue's easel in 2012 after being completed. In 2022, Rodrigue Studios released the image as an Estate Edition. Learn more by contacting us at link in bio.

Over the years, George Rodrigue found himself frequently using some of the same motifs in his paintings and silkscreens. Flowers, hearts, swirls, eyes, candles…all were recurring designs found throughout his work, which changed In this late work, George Rodrigue renders the oak tree with the same rules he set for himself in the early 1970s — with hard edges and dissected at the top, so that the sky is small and defined by the irregular shapes formed by the branches.

The Blue Dog stands as a focal point, reminiscent of the artist’s early loup-garou paintings, but here the Blue Dog is not within a dark and eery landscape, rather appears to glow beneath the bright moon, perhaps a bit “moonstruck” and optimistic for a brighter tomorrow.

Texas businessman, Don Sanders purchased his first...

May 20

227 1

Texas businessman, Don Sanders purchased his first

Texas businessman, Don Sanders purchased his first Rodrigue painting in 2000, and for the next 13 years he and George Rodrigue built a lasting friendship. Sanders continued to collect the artist’s work, amassing one of the largest privately held collections of the work of Rodrigue. Yet as full as his collection was, it was chiefly comprised of works from the Blue Dog and Hurricane series, thus Sanders expressed his desire to have some Cajun paintings to round out his collection.

However, presented with health problems in the late 1980s brought on by the harsh chemicals in the oil paints and spray varnish, the artist was advised by his doctors to abandon oil paints. His only recourse was to switch exclusively to acrylic paints, a water-based pigment that was fast-drying and produced far brighter and more intense colors than the oils. By the late 1990s, Rodrigue was completely comfortable with this new medium, finding renewed interest in both landscapes and the human body. Both of these canvases are painted with acrylics producing colors that are far bolder and stronger than his previous Cajun works.

Painted in 2010, the figures are portrayed in the same style as Rodrigue's earlier Cajun works. The figures are pushed to the foreground, and featured in light-colored clothing; they have a ‘ghost-like’ glow, giving the distinct feeling they are suspended between the sky, trees and earth. The men are seen playing bourré, a game of chance invented by the Cajuns, which was somewhat of a cross between poker and bridge. As both seated men appear to be holding the “Ace of Hearts”, there are definitely “one too many aces” in this game.

One Too Many Aces
2010
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Available at Rodrigue Studios. Learn more at link in bio

George Rodrigue opened his first gallery in New ...

May 19

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George Rodrigue opened his first gallery in New Or

George Rodrigue opened his first gallery in New Orleans in 1989. In 2010 (pictured), he built his dream gallery space in one of the most historic buildings in the French Quarter at 730 Royal Street. #tbt

The gallery features the artist’s depictions of the Louisiana landscape, Cajun culture and his Blue Dog series. The exhibit spaces continually rotates selections from the artist’s career and this is the best space in the world to exclusively view Rodrigue’s original paintings and prints.

Our gallery hours are:
Monday – Saturday: 11:00-5:00
Sunday: 12:00 – 5:00
Or by appointment

"George Rodrigue's big Blue Dog on ...

May 17

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"George Rodrigue's big Blue Dog on Veterans Boulev

"George Rodrigue's big Blue Dog on Veterans Boulevard in Metairie gets a bath: As with many old dogs, its coat had begun to lose its luster" via @nolanews and @dougmaccash at link in bio

Bayou Barn was originally in the collection of Ken...

May 16

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Bayou Barn was originally in the collection of Ken

Bayou Barn was originally in the collection of Ken and Torrie Curtis. Ken Curtis (1916-1991) was an American singer and actor best known for this long-running role as “Festus” on the western television series Gunsmoke. The painting has remained in the family’s possession since 1970.

Photo 2/2: George Rodrigue and Ken Curtis, 1970, holding Bayou Barn the day of his purchase.

It was on the long drives back from The Art Center College of Design in California that George Rodrigue developed his early style. He thought about it for some time, about how different South Louisiana was from other places. Returning to his home made him aware of what he had missed, and he also realized that no artist was painting the true spirit of Louisiana — the dark and mysterious swamps, the bayous, and the cemeteries. He had found his subject matter that ultimately defined his early career.

Rodrigue’s landscape paintings fall into two distinct categories — oak tree landscapes and landscapes with people. For Rodrigue, the live oak was not only a symbol of Louisiana, but it was a strong design element which he used to its fullest potential. In every Rodrigue landscape there are three main elements — the oak tree, cut off at the top, the shadows in the foreground and the mysterious light visible in the sky beneath the branches. Rodrigue never grew tired of the oak tree and continued to experiment with variations on this one theme and formula for his entire life.

Bayou Barn
1970
Oil on canvas
12 x 16 inches
Original frame; signed and dated lower left
Newly available and on display at Rodrigue Studios New Orleans. Learn more by contacting us at link in bio

OKALOOSA ISLAND - 2011 silkscreen - 16x38 inches -...

May 15

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OKALOOSA ISLAND - 2011 silkscreen - 16x38 inches -

OKALOOSA ISLAND - 2011 silkscreen - 16x38 inches - Edition 90 with #75-90 Official Rodrigue Estate Stamp - Learn more at link in bio

Although the color blue dominates Rodrigue’s ...

May 13

640 4

Although the color blue dominates Rodrigue’s lat

Although the color blue dominates Rodrigue’s later paintings, it was barely visible in his early landscape paintings that tended to be veiled in shadowy earth tones of greens and browns. By the early 1990s the loup-garou had been transformed from the dark and mythical creature into the friendlier persona of the Blue Dog, the landscapes had become brighter, often with a sun, a carryover from his early landscapes and Cajun series paintings.

The sun has been a key element in George Rodrigue’s art from the very beginning. It first appeared in his early works as a glowing light in the distance symbolizing hope for a brighter future. Soon after, the sun became larger swirls of golden yellow and often, as in It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Blue, became a dominate motif alongside the Blue Dog.

It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Blue
1992
Oil on canvas
20 x 24 inches
Newly available and on display at Rodrigue Studios New Orleans. Learn more by contacting us at link in bio

"The yellow eyes are really the soul of the ...

May 12

178 1

"The yellow eyes are really the soul of the dog. H

"The yellow eyes are really the soul of the dog. He has this piercing stare. People say the dog keeps talking to them with the eyes, always saying something different. People who have seen a Blue Dog painting always remember it. They are really about life, about mankind searching for answers. The dog never changes position. He just stares at you. And you’re looking at him, looking for some answers, ‘Why are we here?,’ and he’s just looking back at you, wondering the same. The dog doesn’t know. You can see this longing in his eyes, this longing for love, answers."

George Rodrigue in his Lafayette, Louisiana, studio circa 2000 #tbt

In 1987 George Rodrigue painted a triptych of ...

May 11

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In 1987 George Rodrigue painted a triptych of thre

In 1987 George Rodrigue painted a triptych of three beautiful Cajun Women, Morning Glories: Brunette, Blonde and Red. Conceived as a triptych, each canvas depicted a strikingly beautiful woman, each with different hair color and each was a work of art on its own. The only one that Rodrigue transitioned into a silkscreen was Morning Glories Blonde, the “central” panel of the triptych.

The other two canvases flanked this one, and the women are turned slightly inward, this one is the only figure to glance outward. She appears to be part of the landscape scheme; her white dress is adorned with fabric morning glories that organically continue into the landscape. The morning glory vines intertwine the oak trees and it’s branches, winding around the figure and forming a swing on which the young lady sits.

Morning Glories Blonde
1988
Silkscreen on paper, edition of 225
Hands signed and numbered #35/225
37 x 28 inches
Available at Rodrigue Studios. Learn more by contacting us at link in bio

George Rodrigue fondly recalled his childhood ...

May 10

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George Rodrigue fondly recalled his childhood visi

George Rodrigue fondly recalled his childhood visits to the Mississippi Gulf Coast with his parents in the 1950s. It wasn’t until he was an art student at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles that he experienced the vastly different California coastline, later opening his Galerie Blue Dog in Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1991. The beach and coastlines of Florida, California and Hawaii all appear in the limited number of Rodrigue’s beach-themed works.

One of his most popular and well-known images is Hawaiian Blues (1998), created for the cover of the Neiman Marcus catalogue on the occasion of opening a new store in Honolulu, Hawaii. That painting, which depicts the Blue Dog with a lei of butterflies around his neck against a backdrop of the Hawaiian coastline is also one of the few images with palm trees. Those palm trees are highly reminiscent of those depicted in Blue Dog, Blue Sea, although this image does not represent a specific beach.

Based on a painting done in 1995, Blue Dog, Blue Sea is a stone lithograph printed on high-grade rag paper by artisans still producing works in the traditional manner; the colors are rich and varied with an appearance that resembles oil and chalk rather than ink. As Rodrigue explained the process, “Each person involved in the process specialized in a different field including separating the colors, etching the stone, and hand-printing the colors individually, layered one on top of the other, creating a continuous tone image similar to an original painting.”

Blue Dog, Blue Sea
1995/2022
24 x 24 inches
Stone lithograph, printed in Paris, France
Estate Stamped Edition of 225
Available online at link in bio.

I Love My Mother, 1998, Acrylic on linen, 14 x 11 ...

May 8

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I Love My Mother, 1998, Acrylic on linen, 14 x 11

I Love My Mother, 1998, Acrylic on linen, 14 x 11 inches, Private collection

George Rodrigue’s early landscape and Cajun ...

May 7

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George Rodrigue’s early landscape and Cajun seri

George Rodrigue’s early landscape and Cajun series paintings are a snapshot of a bygone era, a portrait of the Cajun culture that existed at the turn of the century in southwest Louisiana. Rodrigue continued to paint these subjects for the next forty years, but no matter the year, he always adhered to the basic rules he established for himself in the late 1960s. Rejecting the spacious sky of traditional European paintings, Rodrigue pushed the large Louisiana oak to the forefront of his canvas, cropping the top of the tree so that the light shines in the distance underneath the moss-covered branches.

With its hard edge and strong shape, his oak tree stands as a symbol for both Rodrigue’s state and his culture. In most cases, he rejected specific locales, rather painting with a sense of mystery regarding time, place and meaning. While we can assume Boudreaux is inside the horse-drawn carriage on his way to see his love, we can only speculate on the romance that awaits him.

Boudreaux Goes Courtin’
1993
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 inches
Newly available and on display at Rodrigue Studios New Orleans. Learn more by contacting us at link in bio

"Al and his wife Beverly were early ...

May 6

173 1

"Al and his wife Beverly were early collectors of

"Al and his wife Beverly were early collectors of my blue dog paintings. He and I became friends when we were honored together as Louisiana Legends in 1991. After his death in April 1999, Beverly contacted me and asked if I would consider painting his portrait for the Millennium Jazz Festival. It was a personal request and a personal decision. I could not refuse." - George Rodrigue

(New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival: Al Hirt, 2000, Silkscreen on paper, 35 x 20 inches, Edition of 2,500, NFS)

Celebrating the start of the 2nd week of @jazzfest...

May 5

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Celebrating the start of the 2nd week of @jazzfest

Celebrating the start of the 2nd week of @jazzfest with Pete Fountain, George Rodrigue and the portrait that became a #jazzfest poster at the @neworleansmuseumofart #tbt 2008.

"Following the success of the 1995 poster, Jazz Fest asked me to paint Pete Fountain. Pete and I are old friends, and so I jumped at the chance. The committee requested that the design be similar to the Louis Armstrong poster from the year before. It was a great time and a great honor ..... My good friend Pete Fountain sat there and posed for me, giving me the opportunity to immortalize him alongside Louis Armstrong." - George Rodrigue

Swipe ➡️ Rodrigue's Pete Fountain 1996 Jazz Fest Poster

Although the color blue dominates Rodrigue’s ...

May 4

345 0

Although the color blue dominates Rodrigue’s lat

Although the color blue dominates Rodrigue’s later paintings, it was barely visible in his early landscape paintings that tended to be veiled in shadowy earth tones of greens and browns. By the early 1990s the loup-garou had been transformed from the dark and mythical creature into the friendlier persona of the Blue Dog, the landscapes had become brighter, often with a sun, a carryover from his early landscapes and Cajun series paintings.

The sun has been a key element in George Rodrigue’s art from the very beginning. It first appeared in his early works as a glowing light in the distance symbolizing hope for a brighter future. Soon after, the sun became larger swirls of golden yellow and often, as in It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Blue, became a dominate motif alongside the Blue Dog.

It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Blue
1992
Oil on canvas
20 x 24 inches
Newly available and on display at Rodrigue Studios New Orleans. Learn more by contacting us at link in bio

Bayou Barn, originally in the collection of Ken ...

May 3

124 2

Bayou Barn, originally in the collection of Ken an

Bayou Barn, originally in the collection of Ken and Torrie Curtis. Ken Curtis (1916-1991) was an American singer and actor best known for this long-running role as “Festus” on the western television series Gunsmoke. The painting has remained in the family’s possession since 1970.

It was on the long drives back from The Art Center College of Design in California that George Rodrigue developed his early style. He thought about it for some time, about how different South Louisiana was from other places. Returning to his home made him aware of what he had missed, and he also realized that no artist was painting the true spirit of Louisiana — the dark and mysterious swamps, the bayous, and the cemeteries. He had found his subject matter that ultimately defined his early career.

Rodrigue’s landscape paintings fall into two distinct categories — oak tree landscapes and landscapes with people. For Rodrigue, the live oak was not only a symbol of Louisiana, but it was a strong design element which he used to its fullest potential. In every Rodrigue landscape there are three main elements — the oak tree, cut off at the top, the shadows in the foreground and the mysterious light visible in the sky beneath the branches. Rodrigue never grew tired of the oak tree and continued to experiment with variations on this one theme and formula for his entire life.

Swipe ➡️: Ken Curtis and George Rodrigue, 1970, holding Bayou Barn the day of his purchase.

Bayou Barn
1970
Oil on canvas
12 x 16 inches
Newly available and on display at Rodrigue Studios New Orleans. Contact us at link in bio to learn more.

New Estate Release from Rodrigue Studios!
...

May 1

566 3

New Estate Release from Rodrigue Studios! Blue D

New Estate Release from Rodrigue Studios!

Blue Dog, Blue Sea
1995/2022
24 x 24 inches
Stone lithograph, printed in Paris, France
Estate Stamped Edition of 225
Available online at link in bio ⬆️

George Rodrigue fondly recalled his childhood visits to the Mississippi Gulf Coast with his parents in the 1950s. It wasn’t until he was an art student at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles that he experienced the vastly different California coastline, later opening his Galerie Blue Dog in Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1991. The beach and coastlines of Florida, California and Hawaii all appear in the limited number of Rodrigue’s beach-themed works. One of his most popular and well-known images is Hawaiian Blues (1998), created for the cover of the Neiman Marcus catalogue on the occasion of opening a new store in Honolulu, Hawaii. That painting, which depicts the Blue Dog with a lei of butterflies around his neck against a backdrop of the Hawaiian coastline is also one of the few images with palm trees. Those palm trees are highly reminiscent of those depicted in Blue Dog, Blue Sea, although this image does not represent a specific beach.

Based on a painting done in 1995, Blue Dog, Blue Sea is a stone lithograph printed on high-grade rag paper by artisans still producing works in the traditional manner; the colors are rich and varied with an appearance that resembles oil and chalk rather than ink. As Rodrigue explained the process, “Each person involved in the process specialized in a different field including separating the colors, etching the stone, and hand-printing the colors individually, layered one on top of the other, creating a continuous tone image similar to an original painting.”

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