Heart and Soul, designed in 2012 by George Rodrigue, is a newly released print in 2021. This Estate Edition of 150 measures 24 x 18 inches and is available for purchase from Rodrigue Studios or online. Note: This silkscreen is “full bleed” meaning the image and paper size are the same.
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 style and meaning over his three-decade career.
In the summer of 2012, Rodrigue found himself in Houston for several months, faced with misdiagnoses and conflicting reports on his illness; by the fall, he was back home with the encouraging news that his cancer had entered remission. “I’m recycling my life,” noted Rodrigue, and his paintings reflected it. These canvases from 2012 were packed with symbolism and optimism.
For Rodrigue, flowers clearly represented a rebirth, but it was also a design element he simply found appealing; often referring to them as “eyes with petals”. While his early Cajun works were limited to use of flowers in the hands or basket of Jolie Blonde or Evangeline, his later works from the Blue Dog series used this element as a focal point.
In Heart and Soul, he combined his love of color with these strong images of pink flowers on a striking yellow background, surrounding the full image of the Blue Dog. Reflecting the artist’s tender and romantic side, he placed a heart with a flower in the center of the Blue Dog, applying an exceptionally suitable title.
*Price and availability subject to change without notice