Blue Dog

Portrait

"Twenty One Restaurant is the proud home of Arkansas' largest collection of Louisiana artist George Rodrigue's Blue Dog prints on public display."

The iconic Blue Dog image is the creation of world renowned artist, George Rodrigue. Born and raised in New Iberia, LA, Rodrigue started sketching his surroundings as a young boy. His constant drawing during classes once caused his exasperated teacher to throw him out of class for drawing!

After attending art school first at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and then at the Art Center College of Design at Pasadena, California, George has lived most of his adult life in the City of Lafayette, Louisiana. During his early years as a professional artist he primarily painted images of the Cajun culture. Over time he added figures to his paintings, and through much of the 1970s and 1980s Rodrigue painted his Cajun heritage. He gained a reputation as a portrait artist, which lead to paintings of five Louisiana Governors, including Huey Long and Earl Long, followed by commissions from the Republican and Democratic National Parties for portraits of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.

His lifeworks also included paintings of Cajun legends. One such legend, the loup-garou, lead to his most famous series, The Blue Dog. This  wolf-like, scary creature lurked in cemeteries and sugar cane fields.  Rodrigue’s earliest versions, beginning in the mid 1980s, showed the dog  with red eyes in dark Louisiana landscapes. He painted the dog as the  subject of the painting, like a person, and he chose a blue-grey color  as a reflection of the dark night sky.

Over time the loup-garou  became a friendlier image with yellow eyes, a more defined shape, and a  bluer hue. It took on other meanings and
became more ‘Blue Dog’ than  ghost story. On his canvas Rodrigue took the Blue Dog through numerous  phases of development, eventually using the image to comment on life  today.

Over the past twenty years Blue Dog has evolved along  with its creator. Always different, but in ways, always the same. It is difficult to define the allure of Blue Dog, but the fact that it  captures the
imagination is undeniable. Through his art the Blue Dog Man  has made the acquaintance of three U.S. presidents, and his Blue Dog  works are valued by art collectors and art lovers worldwide. He has  galleries in Lafayette and New Orleans, LA, as well as Carmel, CA,  Aspen, CO and Tokyo. He is a tireless advocate of the Children's Art  projects, and often speaks to school children about Blue Dog and the  importance of art appreciation. You can see more of his art and purchase  prints or originals at www.georgerodrigue.com or call Rhonda Egan at
337-349-1781.

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