George Rodrigue (1944–2013)

Blue Dog Speaks by George Rodrigue is a fun romp through more than 160 Blue Dog paintings never before published in a book. Based on his mother’s loup-garou tales of werewolves, his Blue Dog paintings have evolved from a simple reflection on ghost stories to a vehicle for his voice to speak on the contemporary world around him. Many of the paintings’ themes celebrate his roots in Cajun Louisiana. I’ve always been a fan of the Blue Dog paintings, but I didn’t always grasp their show more meaning. What makes this collection so unique is that the titles of his paintings are given equal footing with the paintings themselves, thus providing the reader with a deeper level of understanding of his work. The title perfectly reflects the stated purpose of the book, and if we as readers listen and observe carefully, we will come away with a better appreciation for the works and world of George Rodrigue and Blue Dog. show less

This lovely book is a tribute to the blue dog creations of artist George Rodrigue. Rodrigue writes “When I first began painting Blue Dog about fifteen years ago, I had no idea where it would take me, and I suppose I can still say that today. Blue Dog was born in a corner of my soul where some very strong memories lurked - memories both of my lost black-and-white terrier/spaniel Tiffany and of the old Cajun werewolf legend of the Loup-Garou.”

Rodrigue started to include Blue Dog in many of show more his canvases, and the dog got a following all his own. In this book Rodrigue tells the story of his art, and includes many plates both with and without Blue Dog.

It’s hard to define the appeal of Blue Dog, but the artist definitely tapped into something, and for fans, the book is a joy to peruse. show less

As a New Orleans native I gravitated towards this book because of its tie in to Louisiana and it's culture. A sweet touch is the book opening up with the artist, George, introducing himself and talking about painting. Then, it goes into the meat of the book talking about the painting of blue dog and why he is blue. Through the use of blue dog as a constant George explores the colors in the book. It then weaves together colors and thing that a reader, or the author, associates with a certain show more thing. Such as the color salmon when fishing and the color of mustard when eating a hot dog.
This book goes beyond the realm of just talking about colors and starts to get children to think about how they see colors and what is associated with certain things. It takes that step further and immerses children mind in the study of colors.
A great book to use when studying New Orleans, the people, and culture. Or a fun book to read to an art class. show less

Why Is Blue Dog Blue by George Rodrigue is a book filled with a colors. It asks one simple question, "Why Is Blue Dog Blue?" Rodrigue then explains that as an artist, he does not have to have a method to his madness. He often does, but it is not always the case. He goes on to list reasons why he would paint the Blue Dog whatever color. Rodrigue uses eye-capturing pictures and lists the names of the colors to teach kids to match colors with words. I think that this is a great picture to read show more to kids because while reading you are teaching them color recognition and also animal recognition. show less