tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80798777941283490062024-03-06T01:31:09.155-06:00Musings of an Artist's WifeBy Wendy Rodrigue Magnus, Wife of Artists George Rodrigue and Douglas MagnusWendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comBlogger319125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-53241138372103940062020-03-13T13:21:00.000-05:002020-04-19T14:15:49.928-05:00I've Moved! Please Join Me!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear Rodrigue Friends and Fans,<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
All new posts, however, are in the form of a website and newsletter, including photographs, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmlX-RkSIWC_8YgDbz2Mwg/videos">videos</a>, and stories connected with the <a href="https://legacyarttour.org/">Life & Legacy Foundation</a>, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation inspired by George's life and art.<br />
<br />
As of this posting, since founding Life & Legacy in 2017, I've visited personally with more than 40,000 students at 90 schools in 8 states; organized Rodrigue museum exhibitions with related events and education outreach in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma; and presented public lectures to dozens of community groups, including the Louisiana and Mississippi Associations of Broadcasters, the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Arts Guild, and the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce Women's Leadership Conference- just to name a few. In all cases, I share original Rodrigue paintings from my private collection and find inspiration within George's artwork, history, and spirit. <br />
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Learn more and please join me on this evolving journey, one which began with George's and my joint vision some thirty years ago:<br />
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<a href="http://www.legacyarttour.org/">www.legacyarttour.org</a><br />
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Plus... announcing an all-new You Tube channel, featuring video tours, readings, and presentations. Subscribe for free and watch here: <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmlX-RkSIWC_8YgDbz2Mwg/videos">Wendy Rodrigue Magnus - A Life in the Arts</a><br />
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<a href="https://legacyarttour.org/"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1600" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjN20C5OA_u-PvKzFt4HnwjhbR-QR9g0CLUMV4BwKMsEse2TH63HLSWCBICv713XNBcrt_d4a_1D4ZPbJg9A254D7sMBwqaoDHf8JvT-QI1lcKKY2aHxOOcP78tUoXFQcVHror4bpryQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-03-13+at+12.15.06+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thank you for your continued interest in the life and art of George Rodrigue. I hope to connect with you online and, once travel resumes, see you on the road!<br />
<br />
Be well!<br />
Enjoy Life!<br />
Wendy<br />
<br />
WEB: <a href="http://www.legacyarttour.org/">www.legacyarttour.org</a><br />
FB: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlegacytour/">Life & Legacy Foundation</a><br />
IG: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wendy.rodrigue/?hl=ur">@wendy.rodrigue</a><br />
IG: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/life.and.legacy/?hl=ur">@life.and.legacy</a><br />
You Tube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmlX-RkSIWC_8YgDbz2Mwg/videos">Wendy Rodrigue Magnus - A Life in the Arts</a><br />
<br />
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-78703088952286091832019-08-24T17:37:00.000-05:002019-10-20T15:39:42.075-05:00Fall 2019 Life & Legacy Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Announcing the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Life & Legacy Fall Tour,</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> celebrating</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> the life and art of George Rodrigue!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>-pictured: at Loranger Elementary School in Loranger, LA, 2019; photograph by Connor Raborn for the Hammond Daily-Star</i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Sept. 5
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River Middle School, Napa, California</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Sept. 20<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce, Livingston,
LA<br />
Women's Leadership Event</div>
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Headline Speaker</div>
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Tickets and info <a href="https://business.livingstonparishchamber.org/events/details/women-s-leadership-event-7228">here</a>.</div>
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Thank you to Polly Johnson and the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters and Mississippi Association of Broadcasters for opening these doors!<br />
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<i>-pictured: sharing Life & Legacy at the LAB/MAB Convention, May 2019</i><br />
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Courtney Christian School, Hammond, LA</div>
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Ursuline Academy, New Orleans, LA</div>
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Focus:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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A return to this historic school for girls!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read the story and see photos from last
spring’s Ursuline adventure, linked <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2019/05/ursuline-cool-george-rodrigue-life.html">here</a>.</div>
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Or in the <i>Ursu.Lines</i> Spring/Summer 2019 Magazine (p. 14-15), linked <a href="https://www.uanola.org/news-and-events/the-ursulines-magazine">here</a>.<br />
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<i>-pictured: Life & Legacy at Ursuline Academy, Spring 2019; photographs by Douglas Magnus</i></div>
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Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Belle Chasse, LA</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Sept. 27<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Lusher Charter School, New Orleans, LA</div>
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Focus:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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Wow, Lusher- Thank you for the return invitation!<br />
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<i>-pictured: at Lusher Charter School, Spring 2019; photographs by Douglas Magnus; click to enlarge-</i><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Sept. 30</u></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.lfno.org/" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.lfno.org/&ved=2ahUKEwjGtbXLxZzkAhWRjp4KHTxMCwkQFjACegQIAxAB" style="background-color: white; color: #660099; cursor: pointer; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;"></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans, New Orleans, LA</span></div>
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French immersion (gotta learn French, quick....)<br />
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-<i>pictured: George Rodrigue's <u>He-bert, Yes, A Bear, No</u> from his Saga of the Acadians, 1985-89; learn more <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/03/saga-of-acadians.html">here</a>-</i><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Oct. 2,
2:00 p.m.<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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NOLA Famous Podcast</div>
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Listen <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wendy-rodrigue/id1451424416?i=1000453150467">here</a>.<br />
<br />
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<i>-pictured: discussing George Rodrigue, Life & Legacy, and more with Betsie Gambel on "In the NOLA," May 2019. Photo by Douglas Magnus.</i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Oct. 3</u></b></div>
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Stuart Hall School for Boys, New Orleans, LA<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Oct.
7-8<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Wilkerson Intermediate School, The Woodlands, TX</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Oct.
26-27<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Mattie Kelly Festival for the Arts, Destin, FL</div>
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Sharing original George Rodrigue paintings from our private collection throughout the weekend in the Special Exhibit Space on the first
row of the festival grounds. Plus,
join me at the Art Stop for “Blue Dog Storytime”:</div>
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Saturday 11:30 – 12:00 & 2:00 – 2:30</div>
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Sunday 11:00 – 1:30 & 1:300 – 2:00<br />
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<i>-pictured: George Rodrigue at Edwins Elementary School, Fort Walton Beach, FL, 2011; my photo. <span style="font-size: large;">George made magic happen. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-don't miss out... click the photo to enlarge-</span></i><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Oct. 28-30<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Education Outreach in Okaloosa and Walton
Counties, Florida, in partnership with the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation. Details posting soon.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Nov. 4-6<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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The Greene School, West Palm Beach, Florida</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Nov. 8<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Women of the Year Luncheon, New Orleans City
Business.</div>
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Learn more and purchase tickets <a href="https://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2019/08/16/announcing-the-2019-women-of-the-year-nonprofit-leaders/">here</a>. </div>
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<i>-pictured: at Mooringsport Elementary School, Mooringsport, LA; photograph by Douglas Magnus.</i></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Don’t</b></span> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>be scared</b></span> to forge a new path, to follow
your dreams, and to make a difference in this world.</div>
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Enjoy life!</div>
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Wendy<br />
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<i>p.s. To those of you taking a chance on me, I'll do my best to come through with an awesome Rodrigue/art/life experience; and to those of you who invited me back, I'm looking forward to seeing you again... And Thanks, I needed that :)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>p.p.s. To see photos from the tour, Life & Legacy now has its own FB here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlegacytour/">https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlegacytour/</a></i><br />
<i>And IG here: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/life.and.legacy/">https://www.instagram.com/life.and.legacy/</a></i></div>
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<i>-pictured, at George's alma mater, Catholic High School, New Iberia, LA, Spring 2019; photograph by Douglas Magnus</i></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-278394412231993662019-05-19T17:07:00.000-05:002019-05-19T18:03:07.286-05:00Louisiana Lawyers Go West<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Turquoise Hill with its ancient turquoise mine is an
enchanting place ---spiritual, timeless, mysterious, and breathtaking in its
beauty.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George and I visited many
times over the years, beginning in the early 1990s.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We were guests of history, nature, and the mine’s
incomparable owner and steward, George’s dear friend and now my husband,
Douglas Magnus.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>-click photos throughout to enlarge-</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pictured:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Douglas Magnus and George Rodrigue in the Tiffany Turquoise Mine, New
Mexico, 2010.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
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Located in the heart of the Cerrillos District near Santa
Fe, New Mexico, Turquoise Hill is an unlikely locale for a Louisiana
gathering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, old
friendships and life’s circumstances are oftentimes a recipe for the unexpected
and, in this case, a once-in-a-lifetime elegant dinner party within a <span style="font-size: large;">turquoise
mine!</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pictured:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (LADC) visits Turquoise Hill and the Tiffany
Turquoise Mine near Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 2019</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
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LADC President <a href="http://delauplawfirm.com/">Mickey S. deLaup</a> teamed with Kimberly
Zibilich of <a href="http://eventresourcesnola.com/?fbclid=IwAR2l2yfFkSxX3pMFzvahVxHJcn1dMD4eD7L37K_YBBGmsNQBz9AZAfjFLhI">Event Resources New Orleans</a> and Terri Graves of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/terri.graves.90">DMC New Mexico</a> to transport
the Bayou State to the Land of Enchantment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Douglas and I were thrilled to participate as surprise co-hosts
for this esteemed gathering of Louisiana attorneys and their guests!<br />
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<i>Pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
Kimberly Zibilich and Douglas Magnus at Turquoise Hill, May 2019.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Douglas is also a renowned artist
and silversmith, as evidenced by my bling! Learn and see more- <a href="http://www.douglasmagnus.com/">www.douglasmagnus.com</a> </i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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Before entering the mine, I shared with these Louisiana
folks about their hometown son’s love for this sacred place –a connection so
deep that he spoke of it even in the last weeks of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On George's computer, I found a still deeper
reference, undiscovered until a year after his death, in this
artwork titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cowboy Blue Dog (Our
Cowboy)</i>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here is our springtime 2019 adventure in an ancient turquoise
mine located in the Cerrillos District of New Mexico with the </span><a href="https://www.ladc.org/" style="font-size: 12pt;">Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Enjoy!</span></div>
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And finally, Douglas calls the photo below “The Sermon on the
Mount” ---snuck from behind while I was preaching Rodrigue!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am extremely grateful to share
George's life and art at any time, especially with the formation of the new Life & Legacy Foundation, but it
was particularly special in this most bewitching of places, with a captive
Louisiana audience ---made all the better with blue margaritas!<br />
<br />
Many of these generous attorneys and new friends pledged on the spot their support for this programming. <span style="font-size: large;">Thank you, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel!</span><br />
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Founded in 2019, based on arts education and museum exhibitions of the past two years, the George Rodrigue Life & Legacy
Foundation inspires audiences of all ages and diverse backgrounds with the life
and art of George Rodrigue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Foundation seeks to expand George’s vision by showing how one person can
overcome obstacles to achieve their dreams, while also making a positive
difference in the world through the transformative potential of art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Projects include museum exhibitions,
education initiatives, an ongoing public lecture series, and written and online
publications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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As of May 2019, I have visited, personally, 72 schools in
four states on the George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Tour and shared with more than 35,000 students and teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Furthermore, after three record-breaking museum exhibitions last year, </span>the upcoming museum schedule, combined with education and community outreach, is an
exciting and organic adventure!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Please join me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Visit - </span><a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy/today/">https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy/today/</a><br />
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Wendy<br />
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<i>-most photos provided by Event Resources; <u>Sermon on the
Mount </u>by Douglas Magnus; Pontchartrain Elementary School above and Loranger Elementary School below by Douglas Magnus
(May 2019). Also see the recent post "Ursuline-Cool! George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Visits the Historic New Orleans School" linked here- <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2019/05/ursuline-cool-george-rodrigue-life.html">http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2019/05/ursuline-cool-george-rodrigue-life.html</a></i><br />
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<i>-and one more, because this melted my heart:</i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">This extraordinary child and his blind yet searching eyes
wanted to know what his peers were excited about. He wanted to experience
George Rodrigue’s art. He touched this painting, coated by George with
automotive sealer for this very reason, seeing with his hands, and experienced
the swirls and hearts and brushstrokes of George Rodrigue. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">It was, perhaps, a
gift from George to him and others; and it was, no question, the
gift-of-a-lifetime for me. Thank you to the brave and precious. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;">Photo by Douglas Magnus at Loranger
Elementary School in Loranger, Louisiana, May 17, 2019.</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="color: #1c1e21;"><i>Enjoy life, people! Love!</i></span></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-56943828091895346272019-05-02T14:45:00.001-05:002019-05-04T10:47:21.010-05:00Ursuline-Cool! George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Visits the Historic New Orleans School <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was 1994, for my cousin’s wedding, when I last visited
Ursuline Academy.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That I forgot
their magnificent church, <a href="https://www.shrineofourladyofpromptsuccor.com/about">The National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor</a>, confounds me.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This spring on the George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Tour, I stood both
transfixed and transported within this glorious temple to God and women and
strength- the home to millions of prayers and boundless compassion blended with
learning …and, to my greater surprise, </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">ART</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
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Founded in 1727, <a href="https://www.uanola.org/">Ursuline Academy</a> is the oldest Catholic
school and the oldest continuously-operating school for females in the United
States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some seventy schools
in eighteen months on the Life & Legacy Tour, I’m pretty well-seasoned and
rarely intimidated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the
fact remains that I’m an embodiment of religious ambiguity and attended a
series of, albeit excellent, public schools in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The very idea of Ursuline Academy,
located in Uptown New Orleans, caused my brow to raise, just a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could I possibly relate to this house
of history, pedigree, and piety?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And could they possibly relate to me?</div>
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I invited my cousin to join me for the adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kelly McClanahan Yeager graduated from
Ursuline Academy in 1986.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Together w</span>e toured the school, church, and museum, swept away by this <span style="font-size: large;">treasure-trove of culture, history, and faith.</span><br />
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Along the way, I learned that Kelly was a “Skip,” and that
this was obviously an important characteristic, based on the cheers and broad smiles she received throughout the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I relaxed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kelly’s here, and she’s cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(And so is her super-cool oyster art and etsy shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check it out- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/NOLAChickGifts">https://www.etsy.com/shop/NOLAChickGifts</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">).</span></div>
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Thanks to the boundless support of my team, Eldridge Tervalon, Douglas Magnus, and Douglas Shiell, I brought seven museum-quality, original
George Rodrigue paintings, ranging in date from 1968 -2013, and shared them with the students over
four hour-long sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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The girls wore ‘casual blue’ in George’s honor, triply appropriate as not only their school color, but also the signature color of autism awareness month. This important cause was beautifully interwoven into our day with a presentation by Amy Collins of the Beignet Fest and Tres Doux Foundation, "supporting New Orleans-area programs that serve children with developmental delays." Learn more here- <a href="https://www.beignetfest.com/the-cause-mission/">https://www.beignetfest.com/the-cause-mission/</a> </div>
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In between, we <span style="font-size: large;">admired paintings</span> by students inspired by
George Rodrigue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They explored the
classic oaks and contemporary dogs in their own creative ways, with exceptional
artworks that both touched and awed. We also enjoyed lunch with Ursuline Academy President Karen
McNay in her grand office, where we dined on crab cakes (a Lenten Friday
delicacy), discussed our confidence in and admiration for today’s young people,
and experienced McNay’s own enchanting paintings!</div>
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It was the last group, however, the 7<sup>th</sup> graders,
that stunned me the most on this phenomenal day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, up to now, I have funded this tour entirely on my
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s brought me to schools
not only throughout Louisiana, but also Oklahoma, Mississippi, and
Florida.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year we expand into
California and Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Funding it
alone, I can’t sustain it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet
I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have witnessed the transformative potential of art,
inspired by George’s story and paintings, and there’s no going back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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(pictured: <i>Immaculate Dog</i>, 1992 by George Rodrigue, 36x24 inches, oil on canvas)<br />
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The students presented me with a check from
funds they raised to help this programming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unbeknownst to them, it is the seed money for the all-new
<a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy/today/">George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Foundation</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The money will help bring George’s original art and life
story to rural schools, title 1 schools, and many others, both within Louisiana
and nationwide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These young Ursuline
women empower me, as a woman who still feels like a girl, to fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
won’t let you down.</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Thank you, Ursuline Academy, for welcoming me to your
school and allowing me to share with you about the extraordinary man and artist, George Rodrigue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are <span style="font-size: large;">humble, gracious,
eager, generous, joyful, and super-cool!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank
you for helping me to make a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And thank you for inviting me back to visit with your high school
students. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You </i>have inspired <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me</i>, and I can’t wait!</div>
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Dream!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Create!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Embrace your
ideas!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a difference!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change the world!</div>
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See you in the fall, Ursuline girls-</div>
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Wendy</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">-See more photos and learn more about the
George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Tour and Foundation here- <o:p></o:p></i><a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy/today/">https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy/today/</a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">-Photographs throughout by my husband, hero, and George's dear friend, artist <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2016/12/rodrigue-jewelry.html">Douglas Magnus</a>, pictured here as we strolled the levy along the Mississippi River following our special day at Ursuline Academy. </i></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-41086863805252749252018-12-13T16:44:00.003-06:002018-12-19T10:37:27.219-06:00Five Years and a Library<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was five years ago tonight that George looked at me for
the last time.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">His eyes were
bright and beautiful and child-like in their curiosity and faith.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For a long time, I struggled to
remember anything but those last twenty-four hours.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I couldn’t get past that look, and especially my own fear
that the faith he placed in me was </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">misplaced</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, and that I made bad decisions that caused
him pain.</span><br />
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Five years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s nothing, really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
yesterday.<br />
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At some point, finally, the stronger memories became the
life we shared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond the actual
experiences, I remembered the small, repeated things that I counted on, and that I
miss the most ---his laughter, his conversation, the way he shook the ice cubes
in his soda, the circular motion of his fingers scratching his head, the way he
sheeshed and mmmed, and yes, the way he looked at me, and kissed me, the
way his hand held the paintbrush, and then held me, just so, and the way he
said <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my wife</i> (George addressed me by
my name only twice --- the day we married, and the day he died), and the way he
reminded me and lectured me, always while pointing in my face:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">When
are you going to realize who you are?</span></i><br />
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George trusted me to care for his legacy and, I believe, to
expand his vision.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">As of last month, through the <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy/today/">George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Tour,</a> I’ve now shared his story and paintings with sixty-three schools,
plus museums, universities, and community groups --- in Florida, Mississippi,
Oklahoma, and throughout Louisiana.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The tour continues in 2019, expanding into Texas and California, with additional events in Florida and Louisiana.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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Just like every person is special, every venue is special,
and I’m beyond grateful for the tremendous response, and especially for the
opportunity to see first hand how George Rodrigue inspires. His life and art
are a testament to how one person can overcome obstacles to not only achieve
their dreams, but also make a positive difference in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George understood the transformative
potential of art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t
believe in excuses, or even in trying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">He believed in doing.</span><br />
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Five years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
everything, really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s now.<br />
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The photograph above was taken in 2010 at The Dufrocq School
in Baton Rouge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, Dufrocq is
a shining example of <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">Louisiana A+ Schools</a> – teaching all subjects through the
visual and performing arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last
month they honored the person who brought art and inspiration to their school. They renamed their library<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The
George Rodrigue Media Center</span>.<br />
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I can’t say that this recent Dufrocq School experience was
my favorite, simply because to rate this wide collection of students and
teachers and venues and communities would be impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every one of the <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy/today/">sixty-three school experiences</a> has been transformative, inspirational, and memorable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the dedication of The George
Rodrigue Media Center is a <span style="font-size: large;">joyous and lasting tribute</span> to a <span style="font-size: large;">joyous and lasting
spirit</span>, and somehow these feel like the right photos to share today, on the eve
of five years.<br />
<br />
Thank you to the students, teachers, administrators, and everyone associated with The Dufrocq School, as well as the East Baton Rouge School Board, Louisiana A+ Schools, and the Baton Rouge community.</div>
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<br />
<i>-photographs by Douglas Magnus; click to enlarge-</i><br />
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Five years. It's no mystery, really. It's <span style="font-size: large;">love</span>.<br />
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See you on the road in 2019-</div>
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Wendy</div>
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<i>-Learn more about the George Rodrigue Life & Legacy
Tour, including scheduling, videos, and an all-new photo gallery
here- <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy/today/">https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy/today/</a></i></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-47183879918119450882018-08-14T09:49:00.000-05:002018-08-14T14:51:57.281-05:00Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art – Extended!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">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.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We talked about it some
fifteen years ago as we watched the museum under construction, and again as we attended
its opening exhibitions.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He
dreamed of showing his work in this contemporary jewel-box space, while at the
same time, in </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>typical George-fashion</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, forbade me from submitting a request.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(“Asking a museum for a show is the
kiss of death,” he often said.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>-click photos throughout to enlarge-</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_zeNIhhFsVbyKxXvVob3HVFhTkPBhnkpcywBAZUVVWxC9LbASnVp0TEeuOtxvsUuFM-uqwtylk3v8xP1gLm1xbdeoRaJ2_-Lb7LYeREZ957isXbrZPfp8NwZP9NXhP-ZouVGPk9iMog/s1600/OOMA+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_zeNIhhFsVbyKxXvVob3HVFhTkPBhnkpcywBAZUVVWxC9LbASnVp0TEeuOtxvsUuFM-uqwtylk3v8xP1gLm1xbdeoRaJ2_-Lb7LYeREZ957isXbrZPfp8NwZP9NXhP-ZouVGPk9iMog/s400/OOMA+sign.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, OOMA’s reflective
metal pods sprout between massive ancient oaks in an unlikely place- overlooking
the beautiful white-sand beaches of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The museum is a tribute to George Ohr
(1857-1918), the self-proclaimed ‘Mad Potter of Biloxi,’ and a forerunner of
contemporary art through his distinctive art pottery, on view within the
permanent collection.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5gZAg8T6q9Qb0jBjeBiD77F5Z-en_DjVueAZYnNQsap8KTN3kCNmEQ5Rf6cOjc5P2RZ2qZkA75kX6TMtH7XmdqPTkHKVFbeTx1QZsvbsuXn_E3Z4-uZDkoMHx2INNm5gZ46XQJEGs2E/s1600/OOMA+outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5gZAg8T6q9Qb0jBjeBiD77F5Z-en_DjVueAZYnNQsap8KTN3kCNmEQ5Rf6cOjc5P2RZ2qZkA75kX6TMtH7XmdqPTkHKVFbeTx1QZsvbsuXn_E3Z4-uZDkoMHx2INNm5gZ46XQJEGs2E/s400/OOMA+outside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzwFAtZiI6oPriNnZkVvayN-32SHP_E0-wBCAKJYcitqxyaNi07X6n8ifLD9U0PBcNTB2U4-Evad8q4l8P26w00WQl7gC2Qv-U8JO0986-I7z9ZaxE69JMdy0aF-7N1BZX2b15lDwzYc/s1600/Mad+Potter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzwFAtZiI6oPriNnZkVvayN-32SHP_E0-wBCAKJYcitqxyaNi07X6n8ifLD9U0PBcNTB2U4-Evad8q4l8P26w00WQl7gC2Qv-U8JO0986-I7z9ZaxE69JMdy0aF-7N1BZX2b15lDwzYc/s400/Mad+Potter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Two years ago, as George predicted, the museum proposed a
Rodrigue exhibition.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">However,
without him here to create and design, the challenge was immense. How do we
best present Rodrigue within this ultra-contemporary, high-ceilinged, single
room space?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How do we </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>surprise an
audience</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> just ninety miles from New Orleans that thinks they’ve seen it all?</span></div>
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In the past, most <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/exhibitions/closed-exhibits/">Rodrigue museum exhibitions</a> have been
retrospectives, from Cajuns to Blue Dogs, spanning forty-five years of
paintings and sculpture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
clear from the beginning that this type of exhibition was incongruous with not
only this atypical Gehry space, but also with George Rodrigue’s lifelong
artistic rebellion.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgps1PJ0CDHARackJ69Tp5sm7ymeuoNSXjgRbvY3IzBNmgdKTsE7ihlZ7-5RxdLcqEJLUKgElojiMIIMXx0gkjmFk33z0MvMmQ-7p_rC5wE6UD70ll6FwwBUGPmRr_w2-sAH5lvhB8R7s/s1600/IMG_5227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgps1PJ0CDHARackJ69Tp5sm7ymeuoNSXjgRbvY3IzBNmgdKTsE7ihlZ7-5RxdLcqEJLUKgElojiMIIMXx0gkjmFk33z0MvMmQ-7p_rC5wE6UD70ll6FwwBUGPmRr_w2-sAH5lvhB8R7s/s320/IMG_5227.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As has happened
repeatedly since losing George in 2013, we found the solution within his
art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rodrigue’s Blue Dog:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Discovering Late Works on Canvas and Metal</i> </b>features twenty-five
original artworks, many from the last year of George’s life and never before on
public view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy a glimpse of the exhibition in this <span style="font-size: large;"><b>short video</b> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">for WLOX-TV Gulf Coast Weekend-</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="//players.brightcove.net/4699998565001/Hk5SuBFBl_default/index.html?videoId=5796619395001"></iframe></div>
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Also, a new interview, recorded live from the museum, with NPR for Mississippi Public Broadcasting, beginning at 18:19, linked here-<br />
<a href="http://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/mississippiedition/mississippi-edition-monday-july-30th/">http://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/mississippiedition/mississippi-edition-monday-july-30th/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdlEsRTcBupZUxPezFfDUepF4LUSgB5xiADF3m4M9bY0ESf9UTx7zKa3Mvb6k8ZPLgF7oFLCss339Zq8ZqAySLpQWEyrscOxCII1s_ly5kHyQdYSB0RYS_nAmUZdJkyE7SqM5oskrtkg/s1600/IMG_5225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdlEsRTcBupZUxPezFfDUepF4LUSgB5xiADF3m4M9bY0ESf9UTx7zKa3Mvb6k8ZPLgF7oFLCss339Zq8ZqAySLpQWEyrscOxCII1s_ly5kHyQdYSB0RYS_nAmUZdJkyE7SqM5oskrtkg/s320/IMG_5225.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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With more than twice the museum’s previous attendance, the Rodrigue exhibition is a showstopper! Originally set to close August 15<sup>th</sup>, I’m thrilled to announce its <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/ohr-okeefe-museum-of-art-extended/">extension</a>, <span style="font-size: medium;">due to<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"> popular demand</span></span>, through October 6, 2018. </div>
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In addition, please join me at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art for a special encore Gallery Talk on Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 3:30 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surrounded by these extraordinary late Rodrigue
paintings, I'll share personal stories and insights from my <span style="font-size: large;"><b>wondrous journey</b></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>with George</b></span>. A book signing follows,
featuring <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/the-other-side-of-the-painting/">The Other Side of the Painting</a></i>
(UL Press).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0hy8vRTLnCWwE-kYgjzlT0faLKPbzuUSUwzm8nom9l0vEwg-1I6X9ejfres6mgAnzeQ068zQ62dGaPaUp3VBf7H3GjDgWCSR_HYbigTmifT3LT2L9x_t6zL2p_ecqwLgvsnQoLDTJBw/s1600/IMG_5232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0hy8vRTLnCWwE-kYgjzlT0faLKPbzuUSUwzm8nom9l0vEwg-1I6X9ejfres6mgAnzeQ068zQ62dGaPaUp3VBf7H3GjDgWCSR_HYbigTmifT3LT2L9x_t6zL2p_ecqwLgvsnQoLDTJBw/s400/IMG_5232.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I also look forward to visiting Biloxi for </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>education outreach</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> in
partnership with the <a href="https://www.georgeohr.org/">Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art</a> and the <a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/site.php">George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts</a>, September 11-13.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For information, please contact OOMA’s Education Director, Pamela
Cevallos, at 228-374-5547, ext. 108 or <a href="mailto:education@georgeohr.org">education@georgeohr.org</a></span></div>
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Finally, none of this would have happened without the dedicated, enthusiastic OOMA staff, lead by Director Kevin O'Brien, nor without the passion and hard work of everyone associated with Rodrigue Studios, especially our Curator of Exhibitions, Dana Holland-Beickert of Memphis, Tennessee. With tremendous thanks to all of you, on behalf of myself, everyone who experiences this exceptional and unprecedented installation, and above all, the brave, creative genius, George Rodrigue.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu78rN2WpNQ7y-yp6937puus5SCgZUaOW1w5Wt8SRX2jhc5QouWhqHA_XtDGmZALPPCSapy_JyVWT55dEWH8GJnCAwWNtN0blgXrP49qEsV-uigd0BH1jT7h96FmQ193RTJx8ljUhoUY/s1600/George+with+The+Last+Puzzle+Piece+2013+Carmel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu78rN2WpNQ7y-yp6937puus5SCgZUaOW1w5Wt8SRX2jhc5QouWhqHA_XtDGmZALPPCSapy_JyVWT55dEWH8GJnCAwWNtN0blgXrP49qEsV-uigd0BH1jT7h96FmQ193RTJx8ljUhoUY/s400/George+with+The+Last+Puzzle+Piece+2013+Carmel.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"If you try to paint to please a public or a critic, you'll never create anything lasting, anything new, or anything purely your own." -G.R.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wendy</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>-pictured above: George Rodrigue with <u>The Last Puzzle Piece</u>; Carmel, California, 2013-</i></span></div>
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<i>-learn more and purchase the OOMA exhibition poster ($50) at the ALL-NEW George Rodrigue website! Linked <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-ohr-okeefe-museum-art/">here</a>-</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbs_yH5quGj-2OwnqEhHKW1pNP1qjFEn976y9Cj2AT5yCHhALjcMoNaBBS_LImmDJ34l2zrpmJf8YnqQhTYbfa7p1U4bogZyivl9wzu3hnkkXpwRwL7RSGHFff-Qhz-8bfAY7pUeBplcY/s1600/IMG_5386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbs_yH5quGj-2OwnqEhHKW1pNP1qjFEn976y9Cj2AT5yCHhALjcMoNaBBS_LImmDJ34l2zrpmJf8YnqQhTYbfa7p1U4bogZyivl9wzu3hnkkXpwRwL7RSGHFff-Qhz-8bfAY7pUeBplcY/s400/IMG_5386.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-size: 12pt;">-for a related post, see "Remembering Old Biloxi," linked <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/06/childhood-summers-remembering-old.html">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-please join me in September for these events:</i></div>
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<i><u><b>9/8, 3;30 p.m.</b></u> Gallery
Talk and Book Signing, <a href="https://www.georgeohr.org/">Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art</a>, 386 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, MS,
Tel 228.374.5547<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FREE Learn more <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/ohr-okeefe-museum-of-art-extended/">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i><b><u>9/10, 5:30 p.m.</u></b> George
Rodrigue Life & Legacy Presentation with Book Signing, <a href="http://www.nealauction.com/">Neal Auction Company</a>, 4038 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA, FREE. Seating is limited. RSVP <a href="mailto:fineart@nealauction.com">fineart@nealauction.com</a> Learn more <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/life-legacy-at-neal-auction/">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-plus, <a href="https://www.lcm.org/">Louisiana Children's Museum</a> date, time, and details <b><u>coming soon.</u></b></i></div>
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<i>-OOMA video by <a href="https://www.gulfcoastweekend.com/rodrigues-blue-dog-discovering-late-works-on-canvas-metal/">Corey Hudson</a>; most <span style="font-size: 12pt;">photographs by <a href="http://www.douglasmagnus.com/">Douglas Magnus</a>-</span></i></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-9518400756954902472018-05-22T13:25:00.001-05:002018-05-22T13:39:28.453-05:00Sharing George: A Video<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Life & Legacy Tour began because I felt <i>compelled</i> 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 <span style="font-size: large;">as it should be.</span></div>
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<i>Want to know what it's like?</i> Here's a video from Dr. Jules Boquet of Messiah Montessori School, a Louisiana A+ School in Houma, Louisiana. Turn up the volume, stick with it (about 30 minutes), and grab a tissue ....just in case. The kids ask poignant and meaningful questions that take us together on an intimate journey into the life and art of George Rodrigue. </div>
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Topics include Jolie Blonde, Blue Dog, Rodrigue Jewelry, and the story behind one of his greatest paintings, <i>Loup-garou</i>; plus George's relationship to Louisiana, California, New Mexico, and the road; his painting style, work habits, outlook on life, thoughts on success, and even his illness.</div>
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<i>Note: It was this pivotal experience that sparked the idea of bringing original Rodrigue paintings into classrooms --something I've done ever since. Watch here-</i></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DVX6YJKQcW4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DVX6YJKQcW4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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The Life & Legacy Tour continues this fall, not only in Louisiana, but in other states as well, taking me to colleges and universities, community groups, museums, and schools --sharing George's story while using original paintings from his archives as a visual aid. I'll post a schedule late summer. In the meantime, please join me for the following:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Friday, June 15th</u></b>, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Opening reception for <i>Rodrigue's Blue Dog: Discovering Late Works on Canvas and Metal</i>, an exhibition at the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi, featuring 25 large scale late works by George Rodrigue, many on view for the first time. Exhibition continues through Aug. 18, 2018. <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-ohr-okeefe-museum-art/">Learn more.</a><br />
<br />
<b><u>Saturday, June 16th</u></b>, 1:00 p.m. A personal tour of the exhibition <i>Rodrigue's Blue Dog: Discovering Late Works on Canvas and Metal </i>at the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art. A book signing follows. <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-ohr-okeefe-museum-art/">Learn more.</a><br />
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<b><u>Thursday, June 21st</u></b>, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Celebrate the Summer Solstice! Please join me for a personal tour of the exhibition <i>Rodrigue's Swirling Vision: The Sun, Cosmos, and Hurricanes</i>, on view at Rodrigue Studio New Orleans through October 27, 2018. <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigues-swirling-vision-opening-march-24/">Learn more.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLgHfrQNpTRwztCdp8D9UTv68T7BURgKQccj5ql_ziIiqOEEuoEF6aMqg29NtPMdDX9hTDjYv1kcKeYz_A42ttzrM1MEr39966hRL-mkrgAh6Ji9BrCO1dvp_yp3I7TAOJfy0pxqPNFM/s1600/With+Wedding+Portrait+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="620" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLgHfrQNpTRwztCdp8D9UTv68T7BURgKQccj5ql_ziIiqOEEuoEF6aMqg29NtPMdDX9hTDjYv1kcKeYz_A42ttzrM1MEr39966hRL-mkrgAh6Ji9BrCO1dvp_yp3I7TAOJfy0pxqPNFM/s400/With+Wedding+Portrait+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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See you on the road as we celebrate the <span style="font-size: large;">Life </span>and<span style="font-size: large;"> Art </span>of<span style="font-size: large;"> George Rodrigue!</span><br />
<br />
Wendy<br />
<br />
<i>-related interview for NPR with Judith Meriwether for KRVS Radio Acadie, linked <a href="http://krvs.org/post/apres-midi-afternoon-classicsmarch-26-2018-rodrigue-life-legacy-tour-james-lee-burke-symposium">here</a>-</i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<i>-related video: a Life & Legacy interview with Jeff Crouere for WLAE-TV, linked <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0GMMXbMr2I&feature=youtu.be&list=PLf5o0BCVmBpheBKlZ4L5ScNRgiho8454e&t=978">here</a>-</i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<i>-see photographs and updates from the 2017-2018 Life & Legacy Tour <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2017/10/what-did-he-look-like-laa-tour.html">Part One</a> and <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2018/03/life-and-legacy.html">Part Two</a>-</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>-Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+) is a statewide arts-integrated teaching method supported in part by the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts; <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">learn more</a>-</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>-please join me on Instagram at <a href="http://wendy.rodrigue/">@wendy.rodrigue</a> </i><i>for Life & Legacy photos, Rodrigue exhibitions, personal throwbacks and more-</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-65472310206479055062018-03-07T16:51:00.000-06:002018-05-22T12:33:36.338-05:00Life and Legacy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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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, pulling us away from our phones and computers, luring us to museums and
art books, and tempting us to explore our own creative paths. The arts inspire us, if we let them, to make
ourselves vulnerable, to reveal the personal, and as Picasso famously said and
George often quoted, “<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/01/i-first-loved-picasso.html">to paint like a child</a>.”</div>
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This month I resume the George Rodrigue Life and Legacy Tour
with twelve extended stops, primarily focused on schools in Louisiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all began last fall as a way of
sharing George’s life and art (<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2017/10/what-did-he-look-like-laa-tour.html">and image!</a>) with students at arts integrated
schools throughout the state. <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/about">Louisiana A+ Schools</a>, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is a whole-school teaching method in which every subject is taught through the visual or performing arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I’m always grateful for opportunities to share George with
others, and I couldn’t resist expanding the tour when possible to include schools outside of
the LAA+ network.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
wonderful experience ---as exciting for me as for the students--- many of them
exposed for the first time <i>ever</i> to original Rodrigue paintings, which I carry
with me in George’s truck ---the same truck he and I traveled in for years,
<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/03/blue-dog-life-of-its-own.html">visiting schools across the country</a>.<br />
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<i>Pictured: Crossing Texas, 2010; St. Francisville, Louisiana, 2017</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMuHEn2KGqIxRWGj7D4HfjLRAzxbxOua8PSSeVRL7dumsELkz-eYvnsAemhHHqsm91ubMXEqaQL8oncC1gClEaydgqYcO_lVUKPOlDZOYG9umkPJkf2_XlMXrxETQar1AZsvodwU4MrQ/s1600/George+in+truck+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="623" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMuHEn2KGqIxRWGj7D4HfjLRAzxbxOua8PSSeVRL7dumsELkz-eYvnsAemhHHqsm91ubMXEqaQL8oncC1gClEaydgqYcO_lVUKPOlDZOYG9umkPJkf2_XlMXrxETQar1AZsvodwU4MrQ/s320/George+in+truck+2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because my <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2017/10/what-did-he-look-like-laa-tour.html">last tour-post</a> focused exclusively on LAA+
Schools, I missed sharing with you some of the other stand-out stops along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a collection of previously unpublished
photographs from the George Rodrigue Life and Legacy Tour, to be continued this
spring, as noted on the schedule at the bottom of this post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">ENJOY! </span>-Wendy<br />
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<i>-click photos to enlarge-</i><br />
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A grand welcome at River Oaks School in Monroe, LA. Related story: <a href="http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/education/2017/10/12/blue-dog-painters-story-inspires-river-oaks-students/753506001/">"Blue Dog Painter's Story Inspires River Oaks Students" </a>from the <i>Monroe News-Star</i>. Also notice their beautiful hand-painted ceiling tiles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLyv_I8MU6wMsh6zVR2Kel51aopqWECcUL0pheXUKY2CKDtFE7j7aye89XB4PmHAoOIJznD_xN5a3lBVdCZMFhtY8f9f2ZaZ36zoGS3IpjZbk0zkWa_nwNVNyMn_jWN8CuRVflf9V-fc/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLyv_I8MU6wMsh6zVR2Kel51aopqWECcUL0pheXUKY2CKDtFE7j7aye89XB4PmHAoOIJznD_xN5a3lBVdCZMFhtY8f9f2ZaZ36zoGS3IpjZbk0zkWa_nwNVNyMn_jWN8CuRVflf9V-fc/s320/IMG_1693.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A bit intimidating, but whoa, so fun at Ridge Elementary School in Duson, LA (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>), sharing Rodrigue paintings while enjoying Pajama Day! .<i>..if only I had known...</i><br />
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Caddo Career & Technology Center in Shreveport, LA, with Justin Kimes, the 2017 Grand Prize Winner of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts Scholarship Art Contest. Enjoy a closer look at his winning artwork celebrating the New Orleans Tricentennial, and learn more <a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/site503.php">here</a>. </div>
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Enthusiasm abounds at J. Wallace James Elementary School in Lafayette, LA (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>), where students study original George Rodrigue paintings. Related story: "<a href="https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/education/2017/11/17/rodrigue-stops-lafayette-schools-celebrates-student-art/862748001/">Rodrigue Stops by Lafayette Schools, Celebrates Student Art</a>" from the <i>Daily Advertiser</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQAhJLZ5Bd7NX1kwg-fnIEB5HkFea2tY8zx8hgO3PKhh6z_9A3ziOI3rWtjPA2wZywqDyxcu3q9mxw3ayv7eY5RbKJ_bzeplROipDDs7NoKofNlTUZxISfumRdh5Ih1EU6aWqi3R_740/s1600/IMG_0825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQAhJLZ5Bd7NX1kwg-fnIEB5HkFea2tY8zx8hgO3PKhh6z_9A3ziOI3rWtjPA2wZywqDyxcu3q9mxw3ayv7eY5RbKJ_bzeplROipDDs7NoKofNlTUZxISfumRdh5Ih1EU6aWqi3R_740/s320/IMG_0825.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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No shortage of eager volunteers at Rollins Place Elementary School in Zachary, LA (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>). Related story: <a href="http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/zachary/article_8fb1226e-cf02-11e7-86e1-2f66722296a2.html">"Legacy Tour Chance to Extend Life of Rodrigue, Blue Dog"</a> from <i>The Advocate</i>, Baton Rouge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCc17GXIlUUxOD_bKxVfYDQI8_Ub7A_Ye9y84CCT2K9YRHLgO7VtCD0i7hyRYr9DINObYBHdoarPy3UH4GIZP3Gxt-OW0L0IF06DdihksG3dky7R0WB9abg4lFd0xVOJ0l7Dt8rp79GM/s1600/IMG_0651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCc17GXIlUUxOD_bKxVfYDQI8_Ub7A_Ye9y84CCT2K9YRHLgO7VtCD0i7hyRYr9DINObYBHdoarPy3UH4GIZP3Gxt-OW0L0IF06DdihksG3dky7R0WB9abg4lFd0xVOJ0l7Dt8rp79GM/s320/IMG_0651.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I felt particularly honored to visit my father's alma mater, Martin Behrman Academy of Creative Arts and Sciences in New Orleans, LA (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>). Also pictured, Principal Brian Young with George Rodrigue's historic post-Katrina print, <i><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/08/blue-dog-relief.html">We Are Marching Again</a></i>!<br />
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There's a special place in my heart for Homer A. Plessy Community School (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>), located in the New Orleans French Quarter. On this visit, third grader Colin Dulaney moves me to tears with his concept for a George Rodrigue Monument as part of the book, <i><a href="http://bigclass.org/books/preorder-courageous-eccentric-diverse-new-monuments-for-new-orleans">Courageous, Eccentric, Diverse: New Monuments for New Orleans</a></i>.<br />
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Morris Jeff Community School in New Orleans has a 'super-cool' art teacher, Dennis Ward (standing). Also pictured: our very own Shemsi Frezel of Rodrigue Studio helps unveil <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2017/10/what-did-he-look-like-laa-tour.html">George's self-portrait</a>, now installed permanently in the school.<br />
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I received treasured gifts of outstanding original drawings from students at Lake Charles Charter Academy in Lake Charles, LA (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>).<br />
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At Bains Lower Elementary in St. Francisville, LA (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>), I was thoroughly entertained with an impromptu dance, and enjoyed a fantastic turn-out of community support!</div>
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The Dufrocq School (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>) in Baton Rouge, LA. shows real passion for all of the arts, but especially for the art of George Rodrigue ...and for the man himself. Look for a surprise announcement, as they honor George in a most unique and lasting way. Stay tuned!</div>
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There could not have been a better conclusion to this segment of the George Rodrigue Life and Legacy Tour than at Holy Angels in Shreveport, LA. with real-life Angel Artists Elaine and Bobby!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGh_b8IGrHGZrXWBY_nmt5u03c-jUM4SmhzFVi8aeZj7_K7ZfkHiOzD6J_g0orta387YJHjRXlyqrZXMmzJQLfW6by89oU1Y0nCwJpjk6XOmkkW8uANBb52UDCthyduAsNMeJNH1UKt0/s1600/Holy+Angels+Shreveport+2017.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGh_b8IGrHGZrXWBY_nmt5u03c-jUM4SmhzFVi8aeZj7_K7ZfkHiOzD6J_g0orta387YJHjRXlyqrZXMmzJQLfW6by89oU1Y0nCwJpjk6XOmkkW8uANBb52UDCthyduAsNMeJNH1UKt0/s320/Holy+Angels+Shreveport+2017.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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***</div>
<b><u>UPCOMING SCHEDULE</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
I hope to see some of you at these events. In the case of schools, please contact those locations directly for details. Otherwise, the
events in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BOLD</b> are open to the
public.<br />
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3/15 St. Helena Learning Center; St. Helena Arts and
Technology Academy (both <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ Schools</a>), Greensburg, LA<br />
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3/20 St. Peter School, Covington, LA<br />
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3/21 Ascension Episcopal School, Youngsville/Lafayette<br />
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3/22 Most Blessed Sacrament School, Baton Rouge<br />
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3/23 Singing River Academy (Gautier, MS) at Rodrigue Studio,
New Orleans<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3/24 George Rodrigue
Foundation of the Arts Scholarship Art Contest Awards Luncheon, New Orleans. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-art-contest-scholarship-luncheon-awards-ceremony-presented-by-the-george-rodrigue-foundation-tickets-43371611658">Details and tickets here.</a><o:p></o:p></b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3/24 New exhibition
opens at Rodrigue Studio, New Orleans, 6-8 p.m. FREE (plus free exhibition
poster while supplies last!) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rodrigue’s
Swirling Vision: The Sun, Cosmos, and Hurricanes</i>. <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigues-swirling-vision-opening-march-24/">Learn more.</a></b></div>
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3/26 Epiphany Day School (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>), New Iberia<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3/27 LSU Continuing
Education, OLLI Felicianas Chapter, First Baptist Church, St.
Francisville. 10a.m. – 12p.m. FREE. <a href="http://reg.outreach.lsu.edu/modules/shop/index.html?action=section&OfferingID=2162&SectionID=2869174">Learn more.</a><o:p></o:p></b><br />
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<u>Additional dates TBA:<o:p></o:p></u><br />
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The Dufrocq School (a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">LAA+ School</a>), Baton Rouge</div>
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LSU Women’s Center, Baton Rouge<br />
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<i>*most photographs by Douglas Magnus</i><br />
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-40836160570956434352017-10-20T11:50:00.003-05:002017-10-23T10:21:49.354-05:00Don’t Slow Me Down<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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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. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2HvE0PNJOmn66R4d-vA6FezubCYH7HQiyRWjblH2Kq8THPrG6Ji6zF7gl0fARfEpxMOZ2X8rh1wqmpkehQF-en6uw-fdAyBq7qft31S3R3GBwu6Gb7wwkrMLpgb3Bo8_EoGKQO-fpyw/s1600/GR+with+truck+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="720" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2HvE0PNJOmn66R4d-vA6FezubCYH7HQiyRWjblH2Kq8THPrG6Ji6zF7gl0fARfEpxMOZ2X8rh1wqmpkehQF-en6uw-fdAyBq7qft31S3R3GBwu6Gb7wwkrMLpgb3Bo8_EoGKQO-fpyw/s320/GR+with+truck+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We didn’t know that this would be <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/03/the-road.html">our last road trip</a>;
however, we did travel with a secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We learned while passing through Houston that George’s
cancer had returned. But we told no one, opting to shelve this unwelcome news,
as well as the impending treatments, until after the drive.<br />
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We made the most of every moment ---not because we didn’t
think he would beat it (<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/08/courage-for-our-friends.html">we did!</a>), but because that’s how we rolled on these
road trips, as we focused on our conversations, on the scenery, and on the
world spread before us. <i>-photograph by George Rodrigue, southern Utah, 2013-</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSXooV-OI1XW8xwSvZMs8AcjhrDJJvx0xaVrvS2oGiw3xxASWqgq7kLQf3gM3mocaZJ-F8ot8BTIfvmOoE50ZggcP-cSB5eIL9OdSzWCSugxZ1Wm81prLvfzmKYeJRhbvtKZuO7Z_GpY/s1600/Amangiri+Utah+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1440" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSXooV-OI1XW8xwSvZMs8AcjhrDJJvx0xaVrvS2oGiw3xxASWqgq7kLQf3gM3mocaZJ-F8ot8BTIfvmOoE50ZggcP-cSB5eIL9OdSzWCSugxZ1Wm81prLvfzmKYeJRhbvtKZuO7Z_GpY/s320/Amangiri+Utah+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In Mojave, sixty miles east of Bakersfield, California, on
Hwy 58, we stopped at a roadside stand and perused ceramic statuary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbDYkL0mc_xLRNnl4zyLu4zZV-Udr3-YyZ1IVPXxJA5F19mpNmlrhqtaNTRYpNIgkiHXvI2h8sL6a9wGZLGkwINcUmc4E1G6bzhka2fEwFXkv7ZpTNlKCCN7se5svYuOb-vHDe-RZOGc/s1600/Mojave+July+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbDYkL0mc_xLRNnl4zyLu4zZV-Udr3-YyZ1IVPXxJA5F19mpNmlrhqtaNTRYpNIgkiHXvI2h8sL6a9wGZLGkwINcUmc4E1G6bzhka2fEwFXkv7ZpTNlKCCN7se5svYuOb-vHDe-RZOGc/s320/Mojave+July+2013.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
Ignoring the 100-degree heat, George became captivated by the life-size, colorful tortoises on display. He purchased two adults and a baby, emptying and rearranging the loaded truck to fit them.</div>
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That evening, after we arrived <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/08/galerie-blue-dog-carmel.html">home in California</a> following three weeks on the road, he placed the tortoises beneath the lace
oaks surrounding his studio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the following
months, he photographed them and played with designs in his computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He placed one of the images in a TO DO
file on his desktop, where I later discovered it.<br />
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(Pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Slow Me Down</i>, designed 2013 by
George Rodrigue, printed 2017 by his estate, 26x38 inches, edition 90, <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/art/estate-stamped-blue-dog-prints/">learn more</a>-)<br />
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Simultaneously, George explored the tortoises in
paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This related unfinished
painting is one of three he was working on in the last months of his life. The original canvas and the baby ceramic tortoise are on view at Rodrigue Studio New Orleans until March 2018
during the special exhibition <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/contact/">Rodrigue’s Heartland: Under the Oaks and Out of the Swamp</a></i>.</div>
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Another uncompleted painting is a dog-in-a-landscape, which
sits on George’s easel at the <a href="http://bayoutechemuseum.org/">Bayou Teche Museum</a> in New Iberia, Louisiana, where his California studio
was moved and reassembled last year as a permanent installation in his hometown.<br />
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Finally, the third unfinished painting is a return to the
traditional Rodrigue landscape, with tombs beneath the oaks and a river
extending towards a small, bright horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That canvas, as well as three completed artworks,
accompanies me on a statewide Louisiana school tour this fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2017/10/what-did-he-look-like-laa-tour.html">Learn more.</a><br />
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<i>Are you afraid?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked George one evening in December 2013, as I lay<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my head on his chest, matching my breath to his.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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"No!"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he replied. <span style="font-size: large;">"It’s an adventure!"</span><br />
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Among his last artworks, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Slow Me Down</i> is a poignant reference to Aesop’s fable, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Tortoise and the Hare.</i> This happy
image, created as George’s health severely declined, speaks of <span style="font-size: large;">life's journey</span>, combined with the value of <span style="font-size: large;">patience, perseverance,
and humility</span> ---- all while traveling the road to a <span style="font-size: large;">brighter future</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<i>But we take all our adventures together,</i> I replied.<br />
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“But you can’t come on this one, Wendy…."</div>
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“…Not yet.”<br />
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Wendy<br />
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<i>"Once in his life, a man ought to concentrate his mind upon the remembered earth, I believe. He ought to give himself up to a particular landscape in his experience, to look at it from as many angles as he can, to wonder about it, to dwell upon it. He ought to imagine that he touches it with his hands at every season and listens to the sounds that are made upon it. He ought to imagine the creatures there and all the faintest motions of the wind. He ought to recollect the glare of noon and all the colors of the dawn and dusk." -N. Scott Momaday</i><br />
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<i>-<u>Rodrigue's Heartland: Under the Oaks and Out of the Swamp</u> honors George Rodrigue's lifelong exploration in paint and sculpture of the Louisiana Landscape, both real and imagined. On view through March 17, 2018 in New Orleans. <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigues-heartland/">Learn more.</a></i><br />
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-71146972265885121272017-10-17T15:33:00.000-05:002018-05-22T12:34:03.693-05:00What did he look like? …A LAA+ Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">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:</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">“What did he look like?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thrown off, I could only think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Where’s my phone?</i> (in my purse) followed quickly by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Where’s my purse?</i> (on the other side of
the room) followed quickly by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How do I
navigate this sea of children to reach it?</i> (very carefully in my size 10
feet) ---before an on-the-ball teacher deftly circulated George Rodrigue’s photograph from</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> her iPad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This simple scenario haunts me, because George’s face and
voice and mannerisms are imprinted in me so strongly that I near-panicked at
the thought that others don’t know, or worse, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">won’t know</i> the <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2016/12/remembering-george-rodrigue.html">Blue Dog Man.</a><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2016/12/remembering-george-rodrigue.html"> </a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This is particularly important for school children because so many of
them find inspiration within his artwork.
It’s also important because the <a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/about">George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA)</a>, a non-profit organization established by George Rodrigue in 2009, influences the education of thousands of students through an <a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/site507.php">annual scholarship art contest</a>, <a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/site306.php">art supplies for schools</a>, and arts integration through <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">Louisiana A+ Schools</a>. Under the leadership of George's son, GRFA Executive Director Jacques Rodrigue, the foundation's Mission Statement reads,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"GRFA advocates the importance of the arts in the
development of our youth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
encourage the use of art within all curriculums and support a variety of art
educational programs."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I envisioned a plan.</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">As has happened repeatedly since George
passed away, I find that whatever the needs are for his art, he has already
provided the answer.</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">That was the
case with the </span></span><a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/voted-sticker-unveiled/" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">I VOTED sticker</a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, the </span></span><a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/sculpture-exhibition-rosemary-beach-fl/" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition</a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, and
most recently the </span></span><a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/site504.php" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">Hurricane Harvey relief prints</a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. What better </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">way to answer <i>What did he look like?</i> than with George's own artistic interpretation!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">(Be sure and click the photo for a closer look and to read-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">George’s iconic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rodrigue</i> signature accompanies his iconic portrait in the same way he used it as a
design element within his Cajun and Blue Dog prints for years. (See examples
<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/03/name-rodrigue-with-pronunciation-and.html">here</a>-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">To distribute these special artworks, to be hung prominently within each Louisiana A+ School, I enlisted the
help of LAA+ Executive Director Bethany France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">(Pictured: With Messiah Montessori Lead Teacher Monique Breaux and LAA+ Schools Executive Director Bethany France, October 13, 2017 at Messiah Montessori School in Houma</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">, Louisiana)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">Over the years, George and I visited hundreds of schools
together, engaging with students through art demonstrations and discussions. It took time for me to re-envision these experiences without him.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">(Pictured: With George Rodrigue at Liza Jackson Preparatory School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 2011; p</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">reparing for a visit with students last week at South Highlands Elementary School in Shreveport, Louisiana)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In 2013, following our last school visit together, George
observed….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">"It's the kids who bridge the art. To be studied by a child is the best way to connect with the future and is more important than hanging on the walls with the great masters. It took a grammar school teacher and students to help me see this perspective, and it gave both me and Wendy a completely different view and impact, and maybe even a new beginning."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">*Read and see more from our visit to North Park Elementary School in Valencia, California, pictured below, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/03/blue-dog-life-of-its-own.html">here</a>-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">For this Fall 2017 statewide </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">tour of</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> eighteen LAA+ Schools, Bethany France helped me
formulate a plan, complete with an unveiling of George’s portrait, along with classroom visits with as many children as possible.</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Most special, I share original Rodrigue paintings from our
home ---a refreshing alternative to reproductions and power points--- and in many cases the first original Rodrigue artwork the students have ever seen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">(Pictured above:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With Dr. Jules Boquet at Messiah Montessori School in Houma, Louisiana –
a LAA+ School)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"The
donation of these beautiful prints supports the growth of arts-integrated
learning throughout Louisiana,” explains Bethany France. “I believe that
Mr. George Rodrigue would be very proud of the commitment to innovative
learning and the importance of implementing the arts into every aspect of the
classroom as demonstrated in Louisiana A+ Schools." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 15px;">(Pictured:</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 15px;"> Visiting Grace Episcopal School in Monroe, Louisiana --- a LAA+ School)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Touring Louisiana A+ Schools is a natural for me to
further honor George.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He believed,
as do I, in arts integration in all aspects of life ---especially education---
which is why the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts has supported LAA+
Schools from its inception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 15px;">(Pictured:</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 15px;">With Principal Mary Harris at South Highlands Elementary Magnet School in Shreveport, Louisiana – a LAA+ School)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I’m
now two weeks into this ten-week tour and am witness to </span><span style="font-size: large;">exciting and creative</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
academic lessons shaped by the visual and performing arts.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Students, teachers, and administrators
are both inspired and inspiring, in an environment where school participation
is motivated by a real </span><span style="font-size: large;">passion and joy</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> for teaching and learning!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">Admittedly, I began this tour feeling bittersweet. However, that has shifted to elation, as I see students and teachers come to know George in a personal, meaningful, and memorable way. I'm truly enjoying this tour and am grateful to the schools for allowing me to share with them. It is my life's work, since 1991, to educate others ---through exhibitions, lectures, school visits, and writing--- about the life and art of George Rodrigue. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">Furthermore, it is in large part because of George's efforts that the arts are a daily and integral part of the educational experience at the Louisiana A+ Schools; and it is imperative that every student recognizes not only his </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">art and name</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">, but also his </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">kind and beautiful face</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 calibri\22 "; font-size: 15px;">Gotta run..... Can't be late for school!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Wendy</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">-</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">pictured
above:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Third grade students at
South Highlands in Shreveport, following their stellar,
heartfelt performance of <u>On the Shoulders of Giants</u>, a musical by John
Jacobson and Mac Huff; the entrance to Grace Episcopal School in Monroe. Both are LAA+ Schools-<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-Louisiana
A+ Schools is now accepting applications for the 2018-19 school year; for
information on this fall tour schedule or questions about LAA+, contact Bethany
France at <a href="mailto:Bethany@aplusla.org">Bethany@aplusla.org</a>; also
visit <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/">www.aplusla.org</a></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-for
information on th</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">e George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, visit
<a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/">www.rodriguefoundation.org</a> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-photographs at Louisiana A+ Schools by Douglas Magnus-</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-read a related article from <u>Houma Today</u> <a href="http://www.houmatoday.com/news/20171013/original-rodrigue-work-donated-to-montessori-school-in-houma">here</a>-</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-read "Legacy Tour Chance to Extend Life of Rodrigue, Blue Dog" from the <u>Baton Rouge Advocate</u> <a href="http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/zachary/article_8fb1226e-cf02-11e7-86e1-2f66722296a2.html">here</a>-</span></i></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-9487684657305774922016-12-14T00:16:00.000-06:002016-12-14T00:18:52.885-06:00Remembering George Rodrigue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It’s three years ago today, December 14, 2013, that we lost
George Rodrigue. I embrace, as I do every day, his beautiful light, shining now as bright as ever, through the
legacy of <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/">art</a> and <a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/site.php">philanthropy</a> left to us by this beloved husband, father, and friend. <br />
<br />
George is an example to others through his kindness and generosity, and through his unrelenting pursuit of his dreams. He left a lasting gift to the world through his tangible expressions in paint, print, sculpture, and words of his <span style="font-size: large;"><i>luminous and unprecedented</i> <i>ideas</i></span>.</div>
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"Great works of art take on a life of their own, long after the artist is gone." -George Rodrigue</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qOtSQoZFtJZxVkGbf-_sVmpN2MoUYDEzGwAdkm1wczfY93-kub3ZNpG_UzLPWzbZ_vwrTZiWAedQ5hvB81DjBt1a_wwmp_pk4EH22IEeIRBA1nSv-XypWE3YCJGI7tYn3T2B89HLj8Q/s1600/RODRIGUE-IN-STUDIO-3+HAVE+A+BLUE+CHRISTMAS+Dec+13+2012+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qOtSQoZFtJZxVkGbf-_sVmpN2MoUYDEzGwAdkm1wczfY93-kub3ZNpG_UzLPWzbZ_vwrTZiWAedQ5hvB81DjBt1a_wwmp_pk4EH22IEeIRBA1nSv-XypWE3YCJGI7tYn3T2B89HLj8Q/s320/RODRIGUE-IN-STUDIO-3+HAVE+A+BLUE+CHRISTMAS+Dec+13+2012+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="text-align: left;">-a
photograph taken by Wendy, December 2012, and filtered blue by George
----titled within his files, “Blue Christmas”-</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IdbwcZcA9cgdF89Efg5YQBnHGaK0IINVXdpbIarZI0jdJgAZ94Ju-LxzSoovrr-SNOitWtMAJeWjFXG_sHe-ckrGKwD7THSvi-CMbZ8pf1esy86egVBXWJnzfEAGumkZskzq0-MZLOg/s1600/IMG_7098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IdbwcZcA9cgdF89Efg5YQBnHGaK0IINVXdpbIarZI0jdJgAZ94Ju-LxzSoovrr-SNOitWtMAJeWjFXG_sHe-ckrGKwD7THSvi-CMbZ8pf1esy86egVBXWJnzfEAGumkZskzq0-MZLOg/s320/IMG_7098.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>-sharing George's paintings and stories at the New Orleans Museum of Art, December 2016-</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QxBcrj-4ca_4oQRWyTxl30uchcZt9k1HbIJuH1tWc2MvgABKhotHVMWIQvvalRiGcuayGWHSyWW_KQbq31sIeboXMQwa6eaL-SxR5Z3DTFFoVq-oSrv_m0P2YQ4k36Dsq2qb_Bk_6Ws/s1600/George+mobbed+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QxBcrj-4ca_4oQRWyTxl30uchcZt9k1HbIJuH1tWc2MvgABKhotHVMWIQvvalRiGcuayGWHSyWW_KQbq31sIeboXMQwa6eaL-SxR5Z3DTFFoVq-oSrv_m0P2YQ4k36Dsq2qb_Bk_6Ws/s320/George+mobbed+close+up.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<o:p>With blessings to you and yours during the holidays and always. </o:p></div>
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<o:p>And, direct from George, as he made me promise to write within every copy of <i><a href="http://www.ulpress.org/catalog.php?item=141">The Other Side of the Painting</a></i>:</o:p></div>
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<o:p>"Enjoy Life!"</o:p></div>
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<o:p>Wendy</o:p><br />
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-61449542077311353502016-12-09T13:07:00.000-06:002016-12-28T14:55:17.455-06:00Rodrigue Jewelry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #10131a;">George first created jewelry in the 1970s, hand-forming designs in clay
from his images of <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/early-oak-trees-and-regrettable-self.html">Oak Trees</a> and <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/12/jolie-blonde.html">Jolie Blonde</a>, which he reinterpreted as solid
gold pendants.</span><span style="color: #10131a;"> </span><span style="color: #10131a;">Later he made for
himself one-of-a-kind <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/02/all-hail-king-george.html">Mardi Gras coins</a> featuring elements from his paintings,
also in gold, and embellished with precious stones.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">In the 1980s George met
Douglas Magnus, a renowned Silversmith in Santa Fe, New Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two formed a lasting friendship
that included their mutual respect as artisans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years they worked together on numerous projects,
including a line of “Blue Dog Jewelry,” released in a small quantity in the
early 2000s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, Magnus
created many one-of-a-kind Rodrigue pieces, designed by George as gifts
for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmZX8jSz_MH1T4IuMf8KCNDgqWY1H8IaO8Qwq0Q79jeOItfM_uxkkf7th9tmbFqHSAy4Dmcmo4BwSuglxIp6AYqE1zfXkCxK-vqw0_noI-dZ0HAlW5onSHWR49GuqHcvCLbRzGB5ae6o/s1600/Rodrigue+grouping+JEWELRY+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmZX8jSz_MH1T4IuMf8KCNDgqWY1H8IaO8Qwq0Q79jeOItfM_uxkkf7th9tmbFqHSAy4Dmcmo4BwSuglxIp6AYqE1zfXkCxK-vqw0_noI-dZ0HAlW5onSHWR49GuqHcvCLbRzGB5ae6o/s320/Rodrigue+grouping+JEWELRY+2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>-click photos throughout to enlarge-</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">In 2016 I approached Douglas Magnus to reintroduce the jewelry line using
George's original designs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unavailable for more than a decade, these special pieces are updated by
Magnus, based on his experiences in working for many years with his good friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“Working with George on
these designs and concepts was like a hand in the glove. George knew what he wanted, and I was
able to create that vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think both of us were always very pleased with the outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel that the updated collection
achieves a higher standard of completion and quality, with attention to detail,
in the spirit of George and his art.”</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNJbyVUcUiGRXIwnE0ZWf5KNF9pZTPJCBMCE8amyi8pQQw1cTFgQG4vgrgWU5iqot7iwi4k33x-HVSEvgY5YLrSXNvY3GdDkJuoBh8mGZow9gOjTX4qcI8rSO5wvmCME7eMBNHbNjkkw/s1600/COWBOY+BLUE+DOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNJbyVUcUiGRXIwnE0ZWf5KNF9pZTPJCBMCE8amyi8pQQw1cTFgQG4vgrgWU5iqot7iwi4k33x-HVSEvgY5YLrSXNvY3GdDkJuoBh8mGZow9gOjTX4qcI8rSO5wvmCME7eMBNHbNjkkw/s320/COWBOY+BLUE+DOG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a;">(pictured: <i>Cowboy Blue Dog</i> 2013, an original photo-collage by George Rodrigue, featuring Douglas Magnus and his turquoise mines near Santa Fe, New Mexico; learn more <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/12/rodrigue-vs-okeeffe-choosing-magnus-and.html">here</a>-)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Unlike the earlier pins
and pendants, the reworked designs include an emphasis on George's <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/03/name-rodrigue-with-pronunciation-and.html">distinctive signature</a> as an artistic element within each piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LH-_nEQAZ8sWL1x9kf3rkGzXpPh4MzZ-EKo5wJoS_qLEMu-eGmGvVOXUKDMiVN0tzl-cwHWV0BnPyeL8XBotVvzfGtss4XXXBotjGeiP9sohSV2tdLP2xms8zwXNdF922agYdruwnoo/s1600/wendy_blue_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LH-_nEQAZ8sWL1x9kf3rkGzXpPh4MzZ-EKo5wJoS_qLEMu-eGmGvVOXUKDMiVN0tzl-cwHWV0BnPyeL8XBotVvzfGtss4XXXBotjGeiP9sohSV2tdLP2xms8zwXNdF922agYdruwnoo/s320/wendy_blue_18.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">These works of art are hand-crafted
with the highest quality using sterling silver and, in some cases, 14k gold
auras, per George's original instructions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The backside of each piece is as beautiful as
the front, again with an emphasis on “Rodrigue."<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JDZhTCsZRtykE0Slgekwd5_A9tj9Hs2rz7cEg5p2eEqBn1VBDXWrag_kVV2cuzhCixAdTJv14wrQ9kM6LMZQDLpvOhyOD41V6MnDdSEPnzD5FcXW-I_LYVvIjxXUdYnMpn7rs-8cxbM/s1600/wendy_blue_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JDZhTCsZRtykE0Slgekwd5_A9tj9Hs2rz7cEg5p2eEqBn1VBDXWrag_kVV2cuzhCixAdTJv14wrQ9kM6LMZQDLpvOhyOD41V6MnDdSEPnzD5FcXW-I_LYVvIjxXUdYnMpn7rs-8cxbM/s320/wendy_blue_20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtzuMeEVsk3rhFEIT-BIsW1qo3GtT4wAN-3FzQmp5sCnq7AtZnRLt-OYsCqI2FdSB58GoNpiNf_ZiU184HB1FaN3l0cE3TuIYu2-KUt-r_4QYLXEWpNOoU9_V-mitIecpgz9knyZYWJs/s1600/wendy_blue_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtzuMeEVsk3rhFEIT-BIsW1qo3GtT4wAN-3FzQmp5sCnq7AtZnRLt-OYsCqI2FdSB58GoNpiNf_ZiU184HB1FaN3l0cE3TuIYu2-KUt-r_4QYLXEWpNOoU9_V-mitIecpgz9knyZYWJs/s320/wendy_blue_15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a;">In addition, this new
collection, available only through <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/12/rodrigue-vs-okeeffe-choosing-magnus-and.html">Rodrigue Studio</a>, includes several items that
George designed in collaboration with Magnus, exclusively for me,
including a sterling silver <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html">Blue Dog Series</a> bracelet from 2013.</span><span style="color: #10131a;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMKXBCXgQ1YdmDagdtFpjXeegMFLPNgauMWUfqWl6WErQIhFOng4wVVyANa0m7178-NVC72Sp14hWyE0q68dzEeQPJW42F1FaB0ORa9lGi6UkliDPafPRdxtlRY5JZKXzFQbWK_I7Ssk/s1600/wendy_blue_23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMKXBCXgQ1YdmDagdtFpjXeegMFLPNgauMWUfqWl6WErQIhFOng4wVVyANa0m7178-NVC72Sp14hWyE0q68dzEeQPJW42F1FaB0ORa9lGi6UkliDPafPRdxtlRY5JZKXzFQbWK_I7Ssk/s320/wendy_blue_23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXV6UnXXqK50wJHr_rw85KJkHT0jgF-Kc5C_-MuUU9k2EAHu8iMwOk0AYR6jduLGPnWgvAl77CTLDmLIyOT9fpGex2h9_ZSOflg8uSY2tQn-kLt8sY_E58DbTyqJIVFKX11CCVbuReCP4/s1600/wendy_blue_26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXV6UnXXqK50wJHr_rw85KJkHT0jgF-Kc5C_-MuUU9k2EAHu8iMwOk0AYR6jduLGPnWgvAl77CTLDmLIyOT9fpGex2h9_ZSOflg8uSY2tQn-kLt8sY_E58DbTyqJIVFKX11CCVbuReCP4/s320/wendy_blue_26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a;">In all cases, the jewelry is handcrafted, piece-by-piece, by Magnus Studios in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where George Rodrigue worked with Douglas Magnus for nearly thirty years.</span><span style="color: #10131a;"> </span></div>
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I considered for quite sometime whether or not to reintroduce the jewelry. George and I visited Santa Fe many times, not only because we love the area and its people, but also because George enjoyed a unique camaraderie and artistic-exchange among his friends here.<br />
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<i>(pictured: Artists Douglas Magnus, Armond Lara, and George Rodrigue photographed in Santa Fe, New Mexico by Dana Waldon, 2008)</i><br />
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Today, because I live between Santa Fe and New Orleans, I have the opportunity to watch Douglas at work and channel those memories. Many afternoons I visit his shop as he works on "Rodrigue," and as he honors, with meticulous care and craftsmanship, a great American artist.<br />
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Sharing the jewelry again feels right. As I've said many times, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2016/03/i-am-not-artist.html">I am not the artist</a>, and yet this process feels like working with George and moving forward with his designs....... in a way that he would want. Furthermore, within the galleries, it's particularly poignant to have something 'new' from George. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">About Douglas Magnus:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Douglas Magnus (b. 1946)
moved to Santa Fe in the late 1960s, following his childhood in Los Angeles, California
and Silverton, Colorado, and a formative two years with the U.S. Army in El
Paso.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">A photographer and
videographer, Magnus expanded his oeuvre while in New Mexico to include
painting, sculpture, and jewelry, an art form he honed while apprenticing with
local Indians in Gallup, New Mexico. Soon after he acquired the famed Cerrillos
Turquoise Mines, the same land originally mined by Native Americans some 1000
years ago, and later by Tiffany & Company in the early 1900s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Today Magnus lives and
works in Santa Fe, New Mexico, conceiving original designs and finished
products from turquoise, silver, gold, and other materials. He is also a
prolific painter, embracing numerous subjects such as interiors and figurative
works, while partial to plein air paintings created on site at his mines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #10131a; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Above all, Magnus embraces quality materials and
meticulous craftsmanship, remaining true to his unique, evolving vision and his
commitment to beautiful, handcrafted works of art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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Wendy<br />
<br />
<i>-pictured above: Douglas Magnus, Wendy Rodrigue, André Rodrigue at the Tiffany Mine in Cerrillos, New Mexico, 2015.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>-Rodrigue Jewelry is handcrafted and very limited; at this time, prices range between $475 and $4750; for availability, contact Rodrigue Studio at this link- <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/contact/">https://georgerodrigue.com/contact/</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>-for more by Douglas Magnus visit <a href="http://www.douglasmagnus.com/">www.douglasmagnus.com</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>-jewelry photography by <a href="http://www.studio7pro.com/">Studio Seven Productions</a>, Albuquerque, New Mexico-</i><br />
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-47897160915395402292016-10-25T12:32:00.001-05:002016-10-25T15:06:52.877-05:00The Begneaud Collection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since losing George in 2013, we (myself, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/11/andre-and-jacques-rodrigue-brothers.html">his sons</a>, 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, <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/blue-dog-president/"><i>Rodrigue: Blue Dog for President</i></a> in New Orleans and <i><a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-studio-carmel-ca-celebrates-25-years/">Rodrigue in Carmel: Galerie Blue Dog Celebrates 25 Years</a></i> in Carmel, California.</div>
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These unique exhibitions borrow original works from Rodrigue's archives, as well as from private collectors. Rodrigue Studio's Curator of Exhibitions, Dana Holland-Beickert of Memphis, Tennessee, expertly chooses and installs the artwork based on her extensive museum background, including her work on the George Rodrigue Retrospectives at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis (2007) and the New Orleans Museum of Art (2008). </div>
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Both shows broke records at those museums for exhibitions by a contemporary or living artist, in large part due to Holland-Beickert's curatorial skills, including her impressive and thorough research on Rodrigue and her proficient analysis of his art.</div>
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<i>Pictured: The New Orleans Museum of Art, 2008; click photo to enlarge-</i></div>
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Dana and I have worked together on numerous Rodrigue projects over the past decade, within museums and Rodrigue Studios. This includes our collaboration on wall texts, extended labels, and other related materials. Lately, this has been so extensive as to take my time from my usual blog essays. So, lest I leave you hanging any longer, please enjoy below an excerpt from our newest exhibition, opening this week in Lafayette, featuring twenty-five exceptional and rarely-seen paintings by George Rodrigue.</div>
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Throughout, I've sprinkled painting selections from the exhibition and linked to related essays (as indicated by any highlighted words or phrases).</div>
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<b><u>RODRIGUE: THE BEGNEAUD COLLECTION</u></b></div>
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George Rodrigue (1944-2013) was born and raised in New Iberia,
Louisiana, and lived in Lafayette for thirty-five years. His family descended from
the original Cajun settlers after four <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/03/name-rodrigue-with-pronunciation-and.html">Rodrigue brothers</a> walked from Nova Scotia to
southwest Louisiana during <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/03/saga-of-acadians.html">Le Grand Dérangement</a> of 1755.</div>
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Following his <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/12/art-school-lafayette-and-los-angeles.html">art studies</a> at the University of Southwestern
Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Rodrigue attended the Art
Center College of Design in Los Angeles, where he recognized from afar the unique and
fading Cajun culture. Upon his return to Acadiana in 1967, he committed himself
to preserving his beloved heritage, landscape, and mythology on his canvas. </div>
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Although <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/05/marie-courrege-rodrigue.html">his mother</a> insisted on describing their family as “pure French,”
Rodrigue embraced proudly, from the beginning, the description “<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/aioli-dinner-and-cajun-artist.html">Cajun Artist</a>.” </div>
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<i>Pictured: <u>Cajuns Love Boudin</u>, 1980 by George Rodrigue, 40x30 inches, oil on canvas. Collection of Donald Begneaud.</i></div>
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Now residing in Lafayette, Rodrigue was determined to make a living
as an artist. However, he never imagined that selling his art would be his
responsibility. At that time there were no galleries in Lafayette, and with the
exception of the Reilly Gallery in New Orleans, there was not a gallery anywhere that would
display his old-world, Renaissance-style <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/early-oak-trees-and-regrettable-self.html">Louisiana landscapes</a> — repetitive
interpretations of dark oaks and small skies. </div>
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After months of seeking
representation, Rodrigue accepted that he was <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/05/gallery-of-his-own-woolf-inspires-wolfe.html">on his own</a>. He placed a small advertisement
announcing “Bayou Country Paintings” in the back of <i>Southern Living Magazine
</i>and <i>Acadiana </i><i>Profile, </i>using
his Lafayette home phone number and address--- located on Duclos Street.</div>
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<i>Pictured: <u>John Courrege's Pirogue</u>, 1973 by George Rodrigue, 36x42 inches, oil on canvas. Collection of Kenny Begneaud; Learn more about this painting <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/05/landlocked-pirogues-blue-dogs-eyes-art.html">here</a>-</i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Rodrigue’s paintings and efforts attracted the attention of his
childhood friend </span><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/12/greatest-gift.html">Dickie Hebert</a>, also from New Iberia. Dickie and George reconnected
in 1970 when Dickie moved back to Lafayette from Texas to work as a
pharmacist. By this time, Rodrigue had opened a <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/05/gallery-of-his-own-woolf-inspires-wolfe.html">small gallery</a> on Pinhook Road,
where he painted daily and felt fortunate to receive one or two visitors per
week. </div>
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Early on, Dickie Hebert purchased a small landscape for $150.00. Excited about
his acquisition, <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">he showed the painting to his new employer, Roland Begneaud of Begneaud's Pharmacy. Roland immediately recognized the talent and potential in this unknown painter, and he requested an introduction, which Dickie arranged.</span></div>
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<i>Pictured: <u>Begneaud's Pharmacy</u> (Portrait of Arista J. Begneaud, Roland's father), 1983 by George Rodrigue, 30x40 inches, oil on canvas. Collection of David Begneaud.</i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It was the beginning of a friendship, a respect between artist and
collector, and </span>ultimately an extraordinary private collection of Rodrigue
paintings.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Roland Begneaud was an intelligent and shrewd businessman who saw
the potential </span>in investing in George’s work. The two friends became fast business
associates, working out purchase agreements, oftentimes hand-written on the backs of the pharmacy’s prescription pads, to help Rodrigue
finance the improvements on his single-story Victorian-style home on Jefferson Street. Rodrigue famously (and expensively) <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/05/gallery-of-his-own-woolf-inspires-wolfe.html">raised the house</a>, building an additional floor underneath as his gallery.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Pictured: Prescription pad, Begneaud's Pharmacy, 1973.</i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Ultimately, Roland Begneaud amassed one of the best collections of
Rodrigue’s </span>early Cajun paintings, particularly after he added people and scenes
to his landscapes.</div>
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<i>Pictured: <u>Boudreaux in a Barrel</u>, 1972 by George Rodrigue, 36x24 inches, oil on canvas. Collection of Louise Begneaud Ganucheau. Learn more about this painting <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/07/boudreaux-in-barrel.html">here</a>-</i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Based on 1920s-1930s area photographs from his mother’s album, </span>these paintings reflect Rodrigue’s interpretation, what he called “a
naïve surrealism,” of a fading era. He described his paintings as timeless ….<i>Do they
depict </i><i>1820 or 1920? </i>And
he lamented that few local people appreciated the way he portrayed them, “as primitive, living beneath the trees.” </div>
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<i>Pictured: <u>Felix and Annabelle</u>, 1974 by George Rodrigue, 26x38 inches, oil on canvas. Collection of Louise Begneaud Ganucheau.</i></div>
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With the
exception of Roland Begneaud and a handful of other friends, the majority of
Rodrigue’s collectors, whether Cajun or <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html">Blue Dog</a> canvases, lived outside of Louisiana. And throughout his life, Rodrigue remained grateful to Roland Begneaud
for appreciating and nurturing his vision. </div>
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<i>Pictured: <u>Daughters of Andre Chastant</u>, 1971 by George Rodrigue, 28x36 inches, oil on canvas. Collection of David Begneaud. Learn more about this painting <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/12/the-daughters-of-andre-chastant.html">here</a>-</i><br />
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In 1976, both Rodrigue and Begneaud celebrated their success when the book <i><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/01/cajuns-book.html">The Cajuns of George Rodrigue</a> </i>(Oxmoor House), featuring eleven works from the Begneaud Collection, was chosen by The National Endowment for the Arts and Rosalynn Carter as an Official White House Gift of State during the Carter administration.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmij3vqGoEB9-ZVTwW6ckbpKquZFZlKkyI0GwUoDoSWWoN2_GfSSWSjBBDCmpmyM5tldXFgrRozZGRPDfJ13nX_xUpDx82L7aB3dduBTV5F9oEwEdILafo75Khx2NJ2mEYHLwhrRX9Qg/s1600/Doc+Moses+Cajun+Traiteur+1974+48x36%255B10%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmij3vqGoEB9-ZVTwW6ckbpKquZFZlKkyI0GwUoDoSWWoN2_GfSSWSjBBDCmpmyM5tldXFgrRozZGRPDfJ13nX_xUpDx82L7aB3dduBTV5F9oEwEdILafo75Khx2NJ2mEYHLwhrRX9Qg/s320/Doc+Moses+Cajun+Traiteur+1974+48x36%255B10%255D.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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<i>Pictured: <u>Doc Moses, Cajun Traiteur</u>, 1974 by George Rodrigue, 48x36 inches, oil on canvas. Collection of Donald Begneaud. Learn more about this painting <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/02/traiteur.html">here</a>- </i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Today the more than thirty Rodrigue canvases acquired by Roland Begneaud
are </span>still treasured by his five children, Doug, Kenny, Louise, Donald
and David, and their children. The Rodrigue family honors George Rodrigue and
Roland Begneaud in bringing together, with gratitude to the Begneaud Family of
Lafayette, Louisiana, an unprecedented exhibition of these outstanding
paintings by one of America’s most
important artists.</div>
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<i>Pictured: <u>Cajun Bride of Oak Alley</u>, 1974 by George Rodrigue, 24x32 inches, oil on canvas. Collection of Douglas Begneaud. Learn more about this painting <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/10/cajun-bride-of-oak-alley.html">here</a>- </i></div>
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Please join me at Rodrigue Studio, Lafayette, for the opening reception for this special collection of early Rodrigue Cajun paintings, as we celebrate George Rodrigue and the Begneaud Family. Thursday, October 27, 2016; 5-7 p.m. Details linked <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/opening-reception-begneaud-collection/">here</a>.</div>
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Hope to see you-</div>
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Wendy</div>
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<i>-In addition, please join me this <b><u>Friday, October 28th, 2016</u></b> at the Alexandria Museum of Art, when I'll be reading from <a href="http://www.ulpress.org/catalog.php?item=141">The Other Side of the Painting</a> (UL Press) and sharing original Rodrigue paintings from mine and George's private collection. 2:00 p.m. FREE. Details linked <a href="http://themuseum.org/event/afternoon-wendy-rodrigue">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-And this <b><u>Saturday, October 29th, 2016</u></b> join me in Baton Rouge for the Louisiana Book Festival. I'm on a panel with Dr. Chris Cenac for his impressive new tome, <u>Hard Scrabble to Hallelujah: Legacies of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana</u>, which features beautiful reproductions of a dozen Rodrigue paintings. </i><br />
<i> Afterwards, I'll read from <a href="http://www.ulpress.org/catalog.php?item=141">The Other Side of the Painting</a> and share original George Rodrigue paintings from our collection. 2:00 p.m. FREE. Details linked <a href="http://www.louisianabookfestival.org/Author_Rodrigue.html">here</a>- </i><br />
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-42445163806713868692016-08-05T15:05:00.002-05:002016-08-06T11:24:54.501-05:00George Rodrigue: "Fun for Me"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As Rodrigue Studio celebrates its
25<sup>th</sup> 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.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“It’s got to be fun for me, or I
don’t do it,” said George often about painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">It wasn’t the painting itself, however,
but rather the act of painting and the solving of the puzzle that he found "fun."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can see him in my head
explaining this, holding an imaginary brush and palette. “I love the feeling of
applying the paint to the canvas,” he would say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Yet it was clear that George
himself, even when he joked or laughed about a painting, never saw “fun” as important to his finished artwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He enjoyed making people happy, and it pleased him
when others found joy in his art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet he constantly stressed, “My paintings work because they’re painted
in a very serious manner.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">The <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html">Blue Dog</a> is not Snoopy; it's not a character. George</span> winced at the word ‘whimsical’ and was more likely to embrace descriptions like
mysterious, mythical, regional, naive, surreal, and abstract.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>-click photo to enlarge-</i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">(Pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>paintings by George Rodrigue from my collection, as
I prepare to pack them for shipment to <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-studio-carmel-ca-celebrates-25-years/">Carmel’s Rodrigue Studio Silver Anniversary Exhibition</a>, opening August 13<sup>th</sup>, 2016-)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I've always taken George's artwork seriously, in some ways now more than ever, as I search for the man himself within his paintings. For this exhibition, I part with my paintings for six months, because I know that ultimately they have a life of their own ---certainly beyond me, and possibly even beyond George. And they need to be seen.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">In recognition of <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/08/galerie-blue-dog-carmel.html">Galerie Blue Dog Carmel’s outstanding first year</a>, George presented me with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Immaculate Dog</i>, a painting I admired since he completed it in early
1992.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I appreciated George’s
daring alteration of Ingres’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Virgin
of the Host</i> (1852), where he replaces the religious ‘host’ with the Blue
Dog, further linking his staring creation to the mystery of life, as even the
Madonna gazes upon it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The
following year we visited the original
Ingres painting at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France.)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>-click photo to enlarge-</i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Prior to the invention of
electricity, religious art was often framed for Catholic churches using gold
leaf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The surrounding candlelight
illuminated the gold, which illuminated the painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sought to replicate this in my rented Guadalupe Street Carmel
cottage, where I hung <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Immaculate Dog </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with reverence</span>
above the fireplace, flanked by a family heirloom ---- Renaissance-style
candelabras.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">It so happened that Galerie Blue
Dog’s neighbor on 6<sup>th</sup> Avenue, artist <a href="http://loranspeckgallery.com/Loran%20Speck%20Originals.html">Loran Speck</a> (1943-2011), was
not only a gifted painter, but also a craftsman who hand-carved and gilded
frames in the traditional style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
gentle and meticulous man, it took Loran two months to complete the beautiful
wooden and genuine gold leaf frame for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Immaculate
Dog</i>….. and it took me one year to pay for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Once I began traveling with George,
friends and family often used my cottage while I was away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly every time, the thank-you note
included a mention of an evening before the fire, discussing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Immaculate Dog</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was my most prized possession and the
showpiece of my Carmel home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“Because you’re one <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hot Dog</i>!” laughed George in 1994 as he
hung this canvas, his first painting of me, just inside the front door of
Galerie Blue Dog, Carmel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Unlike our wedding portrait (below)
the dog looks straight out, while I look up --- so that my gaze links the three
elements in a surreal composition that, like most Rodrigue paintings, defies
explanation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Even though George gave me the
painting, he insisted that it remain on view in the gallery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people laughed, and some were
confused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I never found it
funny, and I was mesmerized by George’s interpretation of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today it’s my favorite of his
paintings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hangs in my bedroom
and is the first and last thing I see each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter how much I study it, the meaning, like the meaning
of life ...and loss... eludes me.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">In 1995 George painted a second
version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hot Dog Halo</i>, but seven
feet square and without the hot dog, calling it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chanel #5</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The canvas
went on to hang in numerous installations, including The Time is Always Now
Gallery in New York City, and the store windows of Bergdorf Goodman in New York
and Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Houston, and Honolulu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhCSVxZtGkkWE2GXLrpltANXB2KQKohEb4ighH4Je009Ps-IqRTqYMi6t4pYC4f0UKD276QwqX44_amLx2pXZzMKKEQscJ_b8Yc2-HHbAbiEN2RuvYiCf6YH3Gcd-x-tXLYsudDEs8DQ/s1600/wendy+and+me+1997+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhCSVxZtGkkWE2GXLrpltANXB2KQKohEb4ighH4Je009Ps-IqRTqYMi6t4pYC4f0UKD276QwqX44_amLx2pXZzMKKEQscJ_b8Yc2-HHbAbiEN2RuvYiCf6YH3Gcd-x-tXLYsudDEs8DQ/s320/wendy+and+me+1997+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">In 1997 George surprised me with
the painting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wendy and Me</i> as <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/03/our-anniversary.html">our wedding</a> portrait and the cover of our invitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He approached the painting and his idea with a structure and
purpose that reflects multiple meanings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What may seem funny on the outside reveals deep and universal themes,
such as the mystery of life, the inevitability of death<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>….and, certainly in the case of this
painting, love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Throughout his career, George connected
with the Modern Cezanne, the Surreal Dali, and the Regional Thomas Hart Benton,
as opposed to the Contemporary Multitudes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although most often linked to Pop Art by others, he was influenced by
numerous movements (even though he rarely admitted it publicly), ultimately creating his own direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">In 2011, reflecting on his failure
to find gallery representation for his <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/aioli-dinner-and-cajun-artist.html">Cajun paintings</a>, he said, “My style was
outdated and out of touch with contemporary directors that viewed their shows
as a reflection of what was going on in New York.” <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/03/museums-and-critics-early-history.html">Read more. </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">It wasn’t until his last few years
that George found a kinship, once again in his own way, with the Contemporary art movement. It might be said that he formulated his own Minimalism, where scale, materials, and
technology compete with the subject for importance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>-click photo to enlarge-</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjMdtOicIxvX3x0AX2C2M4gZ_9_SbPzo6dOsI_wIrbhMmtwN86nwZZxK7QPORtU4uVI5DUH4ufTMW18iTp0qToClpLUqu_-H3SqwIY4FIfhoz1baiFusZSbi_9jY2S8pOpZG_UX8aTlg/s1600/George+with+Chrome+Heart+dog+Carmel+2012+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjMdtOicIxvX3x0AX2C2M4gZ_9_SbPzo6dOsI_wIrbhMmtwN86nwZZxK7QPORtU4uVI5DUH4ufTMW18iTp0qToClpLUqu_-H3SqwIY4FIfhoz1baiFusZSbi_9jY2S8pOpZG_UX8aTlg/s320/George+with+Chrome+Heart+dog+Carmel+2012+copy.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">George the person was as enigmatic as his paintings ---confident, serious, and complex---- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>while at the same time humble, laughing, and down to earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t question his decisions, in
art or in life, because they came from within <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/03/the-big-picture.html">the big picture</a> of his role in art
history, and the even bigger picture, a legacy and lesson to all who knew him, of following his heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Wendy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>-Pictured above: George Rodrigue at his easel in Carmel, California, 2012-</i></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>-Please join me, along with
George’s sons André and Jacques, for Rodrigue Studio Carmel’s Silver
Anniversary Weekend of Events, August 13<sup>th</sup> and 14<sup>th</sup> in
Carmel, California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-studio-carmel-ca-celebrates-25-years/">here</a>-</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMv64wBWMymPAsmazyEqvLd-04cgLGMHZ3toK5K0GDSN-UXkTpkWv1jrZ5Xo4iNo_ezJT1w4otyYgJI83cU0toyzf6IAFn5yjj9nA6cpRlHbOeCvHb_E4F8hyxNJWv9jj8VBbKZXoUEg/s1600/Galerie-Blue-Dog-2016-25-Years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMv64wBWMymPAsmazyEqvLd-04cgLGMHZ3toK5K0GDSN-UXkTpkWv1jrZ5Xo4iNo_ezJT1w4otyYgJI83cU0toyzf6IAFn5yjj9nA6cpRlHbOeCvHb_E4F8hyxNJWv9jj8VBbKZXoUEg/s320/Galerie-Blue-Dog-2016-25-Years.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>-Don't miss BAYOU, a series of 40 paintings by George Rodrigue painted between 1981-1984, on view (opening 8/6/16) for the first time ever as a collection. By appointment at the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, 747 Magazine Street, New Orleans. Details <a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/site496.php">here</a>- </i></span><br />
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-46860734121347640692016-06-01T07:40:00.000-05:002016-06-01T07:40:45.496-05:00Shidoni: A Friendly Greeting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I returned recently, for the first time in five years, to
Shidoni, a place where George worked regularly over three decades. </div>
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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 <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/11/bronzes.html">three-dimensional interpretations</a> based on Longfellow’s poem, <i>A Tale of Acadie</i>, two-dimensional wall
mountings of <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html">Blue Dogs</a> in various patinas, or a late uncompleted project of a
fuller, smoother, abstracted dog, meant for chrome, two sides, a pole, and a
stand.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSQGuJJW69MwodHp3VRdNXRXJJbP4Mc1YKn9CjdF5AU1XCSdE8Ht2NSufNNsXZY9u0o9f8zz8ZaM3n3Znc6HA-jEevamJRBVrXUpMiEcFJT_HBH56SNjjXIEzFykmYikAP-rfeKGM5XE/s1600/Aluminum+dog+RODRIGUE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSQGuJJW69MwodHp3VRdNXRXJJbP4Mc1YKn9CjdF5AU1XCSdE8Ht2NSufNNsXZY9u0o9f8zz8ZaM3n3Znc6HA-jEevamJRBVrXUpMiEcFJT_HBH56SNjjXIEzFykmYikAP-rfeKGM5XE/s320/Aluminum+dog+RODRIGUE.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As I write this, a
raven calls “Shidoni” from the apple tree above me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I approached Shidoni with an original Rodrigue piece that
spans, within one work, those same thirty years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It begins with a clay relief modeled by George circa 1980
onto the backside of <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/05/marie-courrege-rodrigue.html">his mother’s</a> china plate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally intended as a bronze relief, George abandoned the
project until I discovered it somewhere---I don’t remember where---early in <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/03/our-anniversary.html">our marriage</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I proclaimed it “a
favorite,” running my young fingertips over his young fingerprints, clearly
visible in the greenish clay.</div>
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He gave me the plate, and I placed it on a table-top easel
within our living room, where it remained, a cherished and personal expression,
for sixteen years.</div>
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After losing him, I consulted George’s longtime
artist-friend, <a href="http://douglasmagnus.com/">Douglas Magnus</a> of Santa Fe, for help in reproducing this clay
<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/early-oak-trees-and-regrettable-self.html">oak tree</a> design as jewelry for a family gift.</div>
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“George sent me this!” he exclaimed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></blockquote>
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And indeed, even <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/06/hopeful-discomfort.html">while he was ill</a>, George had sent Doug photographs
of the piece, intending jewelry as a surprise for me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VCVc-2246IaKuXiW9jbhKrda_nPzTBPOGQ5AsKRs4Q-XGvu2PeBdA8n0J3cWhsx7vZ4VBfDq9fdR7nUjlYvCj-KHYuevz1Z3cA9lI-92QcGNlGjoeHNJkMwAe3HHG3p9xdaVqwNNrTc/s1600/Oak+tree+pendant+and+Cajuns+book.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VCVc-2246IaKuXiW9jbhKrda_nPzTBPOGQ5AsKRs4Q-XGvu2PeBdA8n0J3cWhsx7vZ4VBfDq9fdR7nUjlYvCj-KHYuevz1Z3cA9lI-92QcGNlGjoeHNJkMwAe3HHG3p9xdaVqwNNrTc/s320/Oak+tree+pendant+and+Cajuns+book.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pendant, prototype photographed on a page of <u><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/01/cajuns-book.html">The Cajuns of George Rodrigue</a></u> (1976, Oxmoor House); click photo to enlarge-</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m told by locals
that the ravens are the smartest of birds, perhaps the smartest of
animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see them in the
<a href="http://douglasmagnus.net/archives/1218">Turquoise Hills</a>; I see them in the morning when I walk in my slippers upon my
new High Heel Highway, a desert necessity for this southern girly-girl….<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYHVy4wcZZyoOR_DpctnTunLxSrJyW7BGyHorZxZwZrbl8YdWvrFwi13vpe07DJDbvNhyJ_w6TQRBUEju0cD_8aF5eZSHV-GEj_7ymMbEd9nxfHCnE_1BZ_yxXs6cN5BB6c58RXngwYA/s1600/IMG_5003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYHVy4wcZZyoOR_DpctnTunLxSrJyW7BGyHorZxZwZrbl8YdWvrFwi13vpe07DJDbvNhyJ_w6TQRBUEju0cD_8aF5eZSHV-GEj_7ymMbEd9nxfHCnE_1BZ_yxXs6cN5BB6c58RXngwYA/s320/IMG_5003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…One time a raven
greeted me alongside my car, George’s car, when it landed on the edge of a near-by
parked pick-up as I sat, windows down, at a traffic light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The giant bird and I stared at each
other, maybe three feet between us, and the cars backed up behind me without my
realizing it, and without anyone honking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like me, they were amazed by the fearless glossy bird and perhaps they
too saw him as a sign in “The Land of Enchantment” and “The City Different.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLpYsLCCCsNK__XIZg77zB37_xsqpVifNLSVzq2-jWvKIm7cotWIbuN3kmNWZzPuqbYPCwBTLvO08KqaA9iLh1kdtNRKmM8P3MvvXiisWcTVi_3MpgbEXi4-PWXtqDtZZdtn6RrfWCJQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-05-29+at+5.50.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLpYsLCCCsNK__XIZg77zB37_xsqpVifNLSVzq2-jWvKIm7cotWIbuN3kmNWZzPuqbYPCwBTLvO08KqaA9iLh1kdtNRKmM8P3MvvXiisWcTVi_3MpgbEXi4-PWXtqDtZZdtn6RrfWCJQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-05-29+at+5.50.47+PM.png" width="318" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clay murals with ravens by <a href="http://priscilla-hoback.com/">Priscilla Hoback</a>, as they look today on the wall of <a href="http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2011/05/10/at-home-in-the-marigny">our home</a> in New Orleans; purchased by
George as a gift for me in Galisteo, New Mexico in 1998; click photo to enlarge-<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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It’s strange ----emotional….right…and oh-so-wrong---- that I
should explore and in some cases complete George’s projects without him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one understands better than me that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2016/03/i-am-not-artist.html">I am not the artist</a>.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet I find myself caught between,
well, forgive the pun, letting sleeping dogs lie, versus tackling unfinished
projects defined in my head by George’s animated soliloquies, as he outlined
his plans on cocktail napkins over quiet dinners, or on our frequent
cross-country drives, when we eventually abandoned music in favor of such
sharing or, more often, the <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/04/the-silent-west.html">silent road</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M7azUYBY5xLwls_wQDkXqm4SX9ELourWQz4qfsmEDZo9FZ_3WMuPNBSMicsMn_D0i424M-7J9pm-U0Tk_PwY2VUamJ17kPS-26tCAPn4tt5FKLDqNwwvYlZmzjwhEXjWYQ2PoIozof8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-05-29+at+5.53.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M7azUYBY5xLwls_wQDkXqm4SX9ELourWQz4qfsmEDZo9FZ_3WMuPNBSMicsMn_D0i424M-7J9pm-U0Tk_PwY2VUamJ17kPS-26tCAPn4tt5FKLDqNwwvYlZmzjwhEXjWYQ2PoIozof8/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-05-29+at+5.53.11+PM.png" width="285" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="text-align: left;">Pictured:</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">with Scott Hicks at Shidoni Foundry; May 2016</span></i></div>
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Last week I brought George’s plate to <a href="http://www.shidoni.com/html/home.asp">Shidoni Foundry</a>, where it now is destined for several versions: the bronze he intended in 1980; the chrome he loved in 2013; and the giant scale he embraced in his sculptures of the 2000s. (I don’t know what George ultimately would have completed, so I’m following through with all of them.)</div>
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Since moving to New Mexico, I’ve learned that I’m <span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: "helvetica";"><i>Bilagáana</i>.</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14pt;"> </span> I’ve
become familiar with the Navajo people, the Diné, through my friend and
great-niece Katrina, who traded “the rez” for love and Hollywood. Her beautiful spirit remains with her,
however, as she and her bright smile hold steadfastly natural and optimistic
within an oftentimes false and cynical outside world.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDNMY5SiLQdxW9gKvBB942B92uWWS6v9_kM1TJxabveI7MDboW8qv6HVEnNzPSPdakSPYpvrrj_Ibauwo2vNKQGoS01gDzvaJ2G7RY0FolCKxJWbutUfzKmN9uh3loPSk3KqwWw5GLo0/s1600/Katrina+and+horny+toad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDNMY5SiLQdxW9gKvBB942B92uWWS6v9_kM1TJxabveI7MDboW8qv6HVEnNzPSPdakSPYpvrrj_Ibauwo2vNKQGoS01gDzvaJ2G7RY0FolCKxJWbutUfzKmN9uh3loPSk3KqwWw5GLo0/s320/Katrina+and+horny+toad.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Katrina with a horny toad at Turquoise Hill in the Cerrillos District of
New Mexico-</i></div>
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I never heard Katrina say the word “Shidoni,” a Navajo
friendly greeting, according to the internet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, she greets me, without fail, with her beautiful smile
and a warm hug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll need to double-check
with her, I guess, that the google translation of her language is accurate, as
I would not want to offend these ancient and spiritual people with my
presumptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then again, what
harm ever came from a genuine “friendly greeting.”</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnlfjnxeO0fF7p2zZy6kVOtdtzq-y_OcdAXP4d4oz1-iuBs1ne2PzSIy3oBurPAeepjaa66CmtlhO0N2ebqR7y4u2YF8tDQBt5vt1bndW3RlXEAifP_M0dIrXs4Tx2zUFxP9udWpxq8k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-05-29+at+5.55.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnlfjnxeO0fF7p2zZy6kVOtdtzq-y_OcdAXP4d4oz1-iuBs1ne2PzSIy3oBurPAeepjaa66CmtlhO0N2ebqR7y4u2YF8tDQBt5vt1bndW3RlXEAifP_M0dIrXs4Tx2zUFxP9udWpxq8k/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-05-29+at+5.55.08+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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More to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shidoni.</div>
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Wendy</div>
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<i>-for a related post and photographs, see “<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/11/bronzes.html">George Rodrigue: The Bronzes</a>”-</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>-pictured above:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>with Katrina Kavanaugh on Easter Sunday, 2016-</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>-stay tuned for more on George Rodrigue’s Shidoni Foundry projects
in the coming months-</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>-please join me this weekend, June 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup>
2016, at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts for a series of events honoring
George Rodrigue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free and open to
the public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/weekend-wendy-rodrigue/">more</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-don’t miss “Rodrigue:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Spirit of the Game” now on view in New Orleans, featuring 20 original
paintings by George Rodrigue spanning thirty years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-spirit-game-opening-may-18/">more</a>- </i></div>
</div>
Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-64327046678337389482016-05-01T12:24:00.000-05:002016-06-14T08:53:41.091-05:00Blue Dog Hog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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George Rodrigue’s <i>Blue
Dog Hog</i> 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.<br />
<br />
<i>-click photos throughout to enlarge-</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptbHwsk7PBH8KofDwN2dB_138C5NI0Ne1Vm_ezSfrkaMUMqTFyNo8U8jBgNer6sxEq4UpQ6mLH42JVF0xY9__c62aN4g2NRHMPRkNM8htFFh7_wMd-H3QLy0tEbF0lnURZUK-b9Fwsik/s1600/Image+6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptbHwsk7PBH8KofDwN2dB_138C5NI0Ne1Vm_ezSfrkaMUMqTFyNo8U8jBgNer6sxEq4UpQ6mLH42JVF0xY9__c62aN4g2NRHMPRkNM8htFFh7_wMd-H3QLy0tEbF0lnURZUK-b9Fwsik/s320/Image+6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_35867955"></span><span id="goog_35867956"></span><br /></div>
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The exhibition coincided with the release of the book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/01/blue-dog-book.html">Blue Dog</a></i> (1994, Viking Penguin),
George’s first U.S. publication on the Blue Dog Series, and his first major
book since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/01/cajuns-book.html">The Cajuns of George Rodrigue</a></i>
(1976, Oxmoor House). <br />
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Excited about the book, the space, and the big city, George
painted and created specifically for the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every piece was large-scale to take advantage of the colossal
interior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i>Blue Dog Hog</i>,
intended by George as the exhibition’s showstopper, sat on a riser in the
center of the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFqcpGOkOyTWU9IWHOzuwn8WWE6QXtqw98YyZ_U01agkjAedXEc1SSllqb38XGhDyKlCRyiKJGIW0vA5a-pfrl3EmC407nLam4RVzdqzPEDwlmqaFonjTquJS4B2dzt9af0nmYEnBG_0/s1600/Image+4+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFqcpGOkOyTWU9IWHOzuwn8WWE6QXtqw98YyZ_U01agkjAedXEc1SSllqb38XGhDyKlCRyiKJGIW0vA5a-pfrl3EmC407nLam4RVzdqzPEDwlmqaFonjTquJS4B2dzt9af0nmYEnBG_0/s320/Image+4+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I remember George lifting his petite publishing agent, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2015/07/magic-people.html">Roz Cole</a>, onto the
riser during the star-studded and slammed opening night party, accessed by
tracking blue paw prints for blocks throughout SOHO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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At age sixty-six, Roz, a lifelong New Yorker and former MGM
recording star, donned the hand-painted helmet over her bouffant-style wig, threw her
bare legs and black stilettos over the seat of the Harley, and
posed for half the night with a glass of red wine in one hand while waving her
other hand in the air, as though she rode a mechanical bull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
(I also recall her light blue VW bug
parked out front, and how we all marveled that she actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">drove</i> to the exhibition <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> found a parking space).<br />
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“This is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">terrific</i>!”
shouted Roz from atop the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not one of the hundreds of folks in attendance, including actor Matt
Dillon and artist/photographer Peter Beard, left the party without taking her
picture.<br />
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Following the NYC exhibition, the bike returned, in 1995, to
Louisiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…..but not to Butte la
Rose, where George had painted it in the swamp at his camp on the Atchafalaya
River, but rather to the New Orleans French Quarter, where it caused no end of
frustration for <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/galleries/rodrigue-studio-new-orleans/">our sales staff</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
passerby fancied a photo-op on the <i>Blue Dog Hog</i>, similar to the Chicago cows of the
<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/12/blue-dog-man-1996-1999.html">late 1990s</a> and the <a href="http://www.rodriguesteinway.com/">Rodrigue Steinway</a> of 2012.<br />
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To this day, few people realize the vastness of George’s
interests within his art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
spectacular bike surprised the public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Too often he’s dismissed as “the guy who paints the Blue Dog,” as though
he lacks variety within his work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The truth is, however, that his career cannot be divided neatly into 25
years of <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/aioli-dinner-and-cajun-artist.html">Cajuns</a> and 25 years of <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html">Blue Dogs</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, it’s 50 years of creative development ---on his
canvas, in his personal interests, and <a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/about">within his community</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as he remained loyal to his
childhood friends and his home state, he also remained true to his
subjects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t abandon one style
for another; instead he kept adding.<br />
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This is the heart of the <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-celebrating-music/">revolving exhibitions</a> (since
February 2014) currently within George’s <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/galleries/">galleries</a>, focusing on themes
such as Graveyards, Music, Sports, Politics, and Mardi Gras. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In each case, the paintings, borrowed
from private collections, span decades, pulled from both the Cajun and Blue Dog
Series, and yet tied together by George’s lifelong interests.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDebXGIqIA3sVBahQJObcm6VXN1E8I-S2oSnXv9PNKRVV0PIfCnhdW6UA5Gu-slaLQnRpiSy6lM14lOJ0KPxhG7oh9eQWuBEYKg0ky4p0_I0XIilILeoka-bQp-Cv_wzyIxjBKDusxeDw/s1600/Image+18.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDebXGIqIA3sVBahQJObcm6VXN1E8I-S2oSnXv9PNKRVV0PIfCnhdW6UA5Gu-slaLQnRpiSy6lM14lOJ0KPxhG7oh9eQWuBEYKg0ky4p0_I0XIilILeoka-bQp-Cv_wzyIxjBKDusxeDw/s320/Image+18.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Similarly, the <i>Blue Dog Hog</i> incorporates all three Rodrigue
identifiers. The <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/early-oak-trees-and-regrettable-self.html">Oak Trees</a>, prominent within his paintings and sculptures since the late 1960s, stretch like Oak Alley's promenade along the back fender. The
Blue and Red Dogs, prevalent since the early 1990s, echo each other throughout the composition. The equally distinctive rolling red <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/03/name-rodrigue-with-pronunciation-and.html">“Rodrigue" signatures</a> are a
strong design element within George’s Cajun posters of the 1970s and 80s, as
well as within many of his Blue Dog silkscreens.<br />
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“I was never the best draftsman in <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/12/art-school-lafayette-and-los-angeles.html">art school</a>,” George often
recalled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But I always had the
best ideas.”<br />
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Transforming these ideas into tangible works of art proved
challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of the
<i>Hog</i>, for example, George dissembled the bike before painting it, piecing his design
together like a puzzle before rebuilding the motorcycle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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The <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/01/red-dog.html">red dog</a> and <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/03/name-rodrigue-with-pronunciation-and.html">signatures</a> clearly relate to the bike’s rear
brake light, reinforcing George’s focus on design and concept.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02pZGZ-ktcO9MM5pn8EdHQafDKNiQ1ZJ9xY2s4055QMAZTS6zQEO8GQJ9MXzFZSSL0rxT4JZpjCv7KVd-B_U8n1g-hUanaokzRxstqoW9HLsjKu2c01sYh-rEvBPSObBdvnAU6jhsZPM/s1600/Image+17.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02pZGZ-ktcO9MM5pn8EdHQafDKNiQ1ZJ9xY2s4055QMAZTS6zQEO8GQJ9MXzFZSSL0rxT4JZpjCv7KVd-B_U8n1g-hUanaokzRxstqoW9HLsjKu2c01sYh-rEvBPSObBdvnAU6jhsZPM/s320/Image+17.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just as important is the emphasis on the bike’s chrome
details, an obsession for George since the 1950s, and an element increasingly
important within his work, especially within late series such as <i><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/01/swamp-dogs-series-on-metal.html">Swamp Dogs</a></i>,
<i><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/01/hollywood-stars.html">Hollywood Stars</a></i>, and a brilliant collection of <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/06/shiny-happy-blue-dog.html">mixed medias on shiny metal</a>.<br />
<br /></div>
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….proving once again that George enjoyed the challenge of growing
creatively within the repetition of his favorite ideas.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIC-PQ_5GKfXztSh8npkPMjBiwaAlv69y6GPt1NT-5Mi7TqjMVDl2GE0koEWDoikliays5wf49aRw_8Sy-EQEbBZCXYaJlTrr4XMnvFk4HN80rEeZfgJKAW7p4U-4JieB8kQM2KjvD_DQ/s1600/Image+5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIC-PQ_5GKfXztSh8npkPMjBiwaAlv69y6GPt1NT-5Mi7TqjMVDl2GE0koEWDoikliays5wf49aRw_8Sy-EQEbBZCXYaJlTrr4XMnvFk4HN80rEeZfgJKAW7p4U-4JieB8kQM2KjvD_DQ/s320/Image+5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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“I know there’s going to be a Blue Dog in it,” he often said,
referencing a blank canvas (or in this case, a motorcycle), “but beyond that, I
haven't figured it out."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
"And that’s where the
challenge lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what keeps
it fun for me.”<br />
<br /></div>
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Wendy<br />
<br />
<i>*photographs courtesy New Orleans Auction Galleries-</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>-More on Rodrigue and motorcycles <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/02/motorcycles-blue-dog-hog.html">here</a>-</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>-Please join me, along with George’s sons André and Jacques,
for the opening reception of “Rodrigue:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Spirit of the Game,” a new exhibition at Rodrigue Studio New Orleans
spanning forty years of paintings, ranging in theme from boxing to bourré.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thursday, May 19, 2016 from 6-8 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/upcoming-exhibitions/">here</a>-</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-88259229211972721142016-03-24T13:25:00.000-05:002016-04-07T22:46:01.189-05:00I am Not the Artist.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the years countless people approached George Rodrigue with ideas for paintings. They didn’t understand that George was original.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was authentic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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“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 or the Eiffel Tower…. or on the 18<sup>th</sup>
hole at Pebble Beach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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“I don’t even play golf!” he would say, to which they
usually replied, </div>
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<br /></div>
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“….but you’d make a ton of money!”</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VZlVgJMuqJ59Qf1PPNB6knhqyl10g0YTCEvJXxhql17a0WoigpM5VKdJby7LF0wS16pg8fmq-ccooDI_z-L7sNHq04ylbPQ8TRgLLauR3aHvk3Nn434LPHkVBo5nJE_1J30k_ivNsRU/s1600/Dont+Slow+Me+Down+2013.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VZlVgJMuqJ59Qf1PPNB6knhqyl10g0YTCEvJXxhql17a0WoigpM5VKdJby7LF0wS16pg8fmq-ccooDI_z-L7sNHq04ylbPQ8TRgLLauR3aHvk3Nn434LPHkVBo5nJE_1J30k_ivNsRU/s320/Dont+Slow+Me+Down+2013.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Slow Me Down</i>, 2013 by George
Rodrigue; the last silkscreen design he completed ….and never printed; click photo to enlarge-)</div>
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<br /></div>
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In the first few weeks after losing George, I received three
pieces of advice* that I return to repeatedly:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Stay close to the
floor</u></b>, messaged a teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And on days when I can’t lift my head, I move slowly from the bed to my mat, sometimes,
especially in those first few months, as late as five or six in the evening, and begin <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/11/yoga-one-essay-only.html">my practice</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And afterwards, always, I feel better.<br />
<br />
(pictured, Death Valley, March 2015; click photo to enlarge-)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tL6X5ev4iwnsFuruyIKAccHRE3pQGNwwNZMbIXge79hIqH9kPOYZD1H4pe4-FlmFmQU69mLPKKSYGA-6YOzLbWoiHgcP_zDgAX47e7ncKT7XMHb0VAmUxqdBr07wA3MedhrZsXGuzRE/s1600/Death+Valley+Yoga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tL6X5ev4iwnsFuruyIKAccHRE3pQGNwwNZMbIXge79hIqH9kPOYZD1H4pe4-FlmFmQU69mLPKKSYGA-6YOzLbWoiHgcP_zDgAX47e7ncKT7XMHb0VAmUxqdBr07wA3MedhrZsXGuzRE/s320/Death+Valley+Yoga.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1832690938"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Relax the struggle</u></b>,
wrote a mentor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And on days when
the enormity of my loss crashes into the enormity of my responsibility, I remember
that I am human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And afterwards,
always, I feel better.<br />
<br />
(pictured, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sunshine is Mine</i>, October 2012 by George Rodrigue, 16x20, acrylic on canvas; learn <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/10/sunshine-and-love-new-paintings.html">more</a>-)</div>
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQ5ccHYmOX_Z1XVs24W_-SB0OOjb2qi-3SOpynDr3E4_MrK8NNuPhPSN6XLRctqrHWFkkkyLJ3-jZF1Gv1dDp5wJdPLFtWzWr4J0odfhHW5UwDDUhfQI6gyLQR0MNRX0vq6CjglTSk3Q/s1600/Sunshine+is+Mine+2012+16x20+acr.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQ5ccHYmOX_Z1XVs24W_-SB0OOjb2qi-3SOpynDr3E4_MrK8NNuPhPSN6XLRctqrHWFkkkyLJ3-jZF1Gv1dDp5wJdPLFtWzWr4J0odfhHW5UwDDUhfQI6gyLQR0MNRX0vq6CjglTSk3Q/s320/Sunshine+is+Mine+2012+16x20+acr.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Don’t do anything
you don’t want to do</u></b>, stressed one of George’s doctors in a voicemail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And on days when others stress how I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> conduct my life, I give myself
permission to follow my heart instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And afterwards, always, I feel better.<br />
<br />
(pictured, <a href="http://douglasmagnus.net/archives/1218">Turquoise Hill</a> in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2016; click photo to enlarge-)<br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCl_BNMobq2VcrAyxu2o82QoW1zYAXvSHWGISNrwXfcf9iWdERMp-o9DKPZzwKgTcuuFzRpqvDz5w-MrNlwKXTTiakGW-FzYj6jkHDn55Fr8i46rZfm4J7sijPpT3q8kMo_PxdcTE2Lc/s1600/panorama.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCl_BNMobq2VcrAyxu2o82QoW1zYAXvSHWGISNrwXfcf9iWdERMp-o9DKPZzwKgTcuuFzRpqvDz5w-MrNlwKXTTiakGW-FzYj6jkHDn55Fr8i46rZfm4J7sijPpT3q8kMo_PxdcTE2Lc/s320/panorama.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Looking back, the advice was there all along from George,
with himself as the example---
a grounded and down-to-earth person, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/03/museums-and-critics-early-history.html">immune to criticism</a>, and true to his own
vision within his art and life.<br />
<br />
(pictured, <i>Rodrigue & Camera</i> - a file from George's computer; click to enlarge-)<br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLL-BFGqRMm76r37lQUjl3ObOqdKkMjNFscwC9xdQeEs50zmxi4VW2zA7_icSRe8wOvE87Ep-WtgXXavjexefuJQ_mLu88FucNdRDnMjQW2NTNHVD4Rwpe7w-Y7NNS8v3xkN118WVvHg/s1600/RODRIGUE-%2526-CAMERAjpg2011.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLL-BFGqRMm76r37lQUjl3ObOqdKkMjNFscwC9xdQeEs50zmxi4VW2zA7_icSRe8wOvE87Ep-WtgXXavjexefuJQ_mLu88FucNdRDnMjQW2NTNHVD4Rwpe7w-Y7NNS8v3xkN118WVvHg/s320/RODRIGUE-%2526-CAMERAjpg2011.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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We all recognize that no two people are alike, and yet why
is it that we presume to understand aspects of the human condition as though
they are universal standards?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loss
is different for everyone, no matter how familiar the circumstances may seem,
and no matter what the outward perception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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Facing others means dreading the question, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How are you?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer is impossible, because the pain is unique and personal (not unlike George’s paintings),
and the sense of loneliness and exposure and confusion undulates, so that this
thing called grief becomes more of an appendage than a process.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Do not fear, there is always wine<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if you are thirsty for love.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do not fear, there is always water<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if your lips are parched.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do not fear your ruin, inside you<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">there is a treasure.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Open your eyes, for this world<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is only a dream.”</i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">-Rumi (1207-1273)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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“Stop this exploitation of your late husband!!!” demanded a
Lafayette, Louisiana socialite recently, after my photo (below) appeared on
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeRodrigueArt/">facebook</a> with a Rodrigue collector. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She later deleted the comment; yet this hometown sting,
combined with its multiple exclamation points and my own relentless second-guessing of my actions, burned in my
memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I’ve embarrassed
George in his <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/aioli-dinner-and-cajun-artist.html">beloved Cajun community</a>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was only the second time I’ve attended a Rodrigue Gallery function
since October 2013 ----when <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/10/the-right-thing.html">George and I released <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Other Side of the Painting</i> together</a> in Carmel, California
----and yet already I roused judgment and ire.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relax the struggle.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULYz6uTUPkHnPp14FTXlFhaM9yTV3-3ltk9H04FR3TD06XsmhE3yB3axtexqflsUE98sk_cgMo73qBRG751D19SKPftqClj0fL-ksj3cRGrfqA5bjeFEOtu8kSY9Csl4GOF9HTthHi9Y/s1600/F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULYz6uTUPkHnPp14FTXlFhaM9yTV3-3ltk9H04FR3TD06XsmhE3yB3axtexqflsUE98sk_cgMo73qBRG751D19SKPftqClj0fL-ksj3cRGrfqA5bjeFEOtu8kSY9Csl4GOF9HTthHi9Y/s320/F.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with
Lucy Trebotich, who graciously loaned her painting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Santa Fe Guitar</i> (1987) to the exhibition "<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rodrigue: Celebrating Music"</span>; New Orleans, February 2016; learn <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-celebrating-music/">more</a>-)<br />
<br /></div>
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“Protect yourself,” George often said to me, followed
closely by “When are you going to realize <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">who
you are</i>?”<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s ironic that it took losing him for those words to sink
in. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wendy<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*for R.E. ....how did we get here?<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">-how long will it be?... I often wonder...before I feel comfortable enough to cross my legs, or even my feet, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2015/11/the-moment.html">in the moment</a>-</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">-With a return to public
life comes a full plate of events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No, I am not the artist. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
hopefully, in helping others to better understand and appreciate George's life and
art, I’m moving in the right direction in preserving and enhancing his
legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Proceeds from all events benefit the arts in education programs of the <a href="http://rodriguefoundation.org/about">George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
join me for the following:<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>April 15<sup>th</sup></u></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A Conversation with Wendy Rodrigue”
including a book signing and reading from <u>The Other Side of the Painting</u>
(UL Press, 2013);<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Paul and
Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum in Lafayette, Louisiana 6:00 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details <a href="http://hilliardmuseum.org/Events/EventsDisplay.asp?p1=9460&p2=Y">here</a>-<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>April 16<sup>th</sup></u></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 7<sup>th</sup> annual George Rodrigue
Foundation of the Arts Scholarship Luncheon at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel,
11:30 a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tickets $50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details <a href="http://rodriguefoundation.org/site492.php">here</a>-<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>May 19th</u></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Rodrigue:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Spirit of the Game” opens at Rodrigue Studio, New
Orleans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6-8 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details posting soon <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/exhibitions/featured-exhibits/">here</a>-</i><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>June 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup></u></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Weekend with Wendy” including children’s events, lectures, and book
signings; The Longview Museum of Fine Arts in Longview, Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/longview-museum-hosts-rodrigue-exhibition/">here</a>- <o:p></o:p></i><br />
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-9753613707156037172016-01-18T20:21:00.002-06:002016-01-20T07:35:31.867-06:00The Alligators Return<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Following twenty years in a private collection, this week two special paintings by George Rodrigue hang for the first time ever in New Orleans. See <u>Lacoste Lineup</u> (1991) and <u>Spooked by Bourré</u> (1993) on view for a limited time at Rodrigue Studio in the French Quarter. The story behind these paintings is one of the most fascinating in George's painting development-</i></div>
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In the summer of 1991, George rented a commercial
space in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Downtown rental property was at a premium and rarely available, and
he required City Council approval to convert the former dentist’s office
into an art gallery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The narrow, deep space seemed at first awkward for <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/08/galerie-blue-dog-carmel.html" target="_blank">Galerie Blue Dog</a>, and it relied primarily on artificial light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its only window stretched 82 inches
across, facing 6<sup>th</sup> Avenue, one block behind the main drag of Ocean
Avenue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Attracting attention would
be difficult --- especially that of art enthusiasts who might merely glimpse
George's gallery from the corner as they walked to the well-known street.</div>
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I remember the scene well. George stretched two canvases the exact width of the
window, allowing space for a small display underneath. Facing inside, he
painted a moonscape, with two dogs staring across the long gallery from above. Facing outside, he painted <i>Lacoste Lineup</i>, his first artwork created in California since his <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/12/art-school-lafayette-and-los-angeles.html" target="_blank">student projects</a> at the Art Center College of Design in 1960s Los Angeles. </div>
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(pictured: <i>Lacoste Lineup</i>, 1991 by George Rodrigue, 36x82 inches, oil on canvas, on view now at Rodrigue Studio, New Orleans)</div>
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<i>-be sure and click the photo to enlarge-</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvOoN-Zb2iZgFMOCsR7uku-wETiiJqL8CWkX_FiRtXNjq3koPV61pD-uldoHklvfnPceNp41I6XhE1MqFv8ow4HyxAUmBHPzWx4XkwQO8ya_8z5Ec_vDvYRukxMmIUYI3eRt0Dd82_Vk/s1600/Lacoste+Lineup+1991+36x82+oil+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvOoN-Zb2iZgFMOCsR7uku-wETiiJqL8CWkX_FiRtXNjq3koPV61pD-uldoHklvfnPceNp41I6XhE1MqFv8ow4HyxAUmBHPzWx4XkwQO8ya_8z5Ec_vDvYRukxMmIUYI3eRt0Dd82_Vk/s320/Lacoste+Lineup+1991+36x82+oil+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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With its five Blue Dogs, Oak Trees,
Swirling Suns, and Alligator, the painting announced a Cajun’s return to the
West Coast, and the fulfillment of <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/08/galerie-blue-dog-carmel.html" target="_blank">a dream</a> he sought since Art School.</div>
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(pictured: George Rodrigue works on <i>Lacoste Lineup</i> on a patio in Carmel, California while his son <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/08/jacques-george-rodrigue.html" target="_blank">Jacques</a> and friend Shawn look on, 1991; click photos to enlarge-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Tghfmk-5RxSoGLejQ0c2hv8LiZLbvtUlgro3LJvypeVfAYnm4DptyArFW9jBDWtSbnSO8z_NNs099rflFjE5_Jd5-ARr8NpMHuZDQRq5yuBVyK5aPN-sfkarSWBq3DTHt2yNYbeFTKs/s1600/Lacoste1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Tghfmk-5RxSoGLejQ0c2hv8LiZLbvtUlgro3LJvypeVfAYnm4DptyArFW9jBDWtSbnSO8z_NNs099rflFjE5_Jd5-ARr8NpMHuZDQRq5yuBVyK5aPN-sfkarSWBq3DTHt2yNYbeFTKs/s320/Lacoste1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5R_TDuh0_2JRxa3PMomNK1BVXZpFODS16k6lEPLvNpRh5GchSw-Ahy-pQw3utUbH33zkJ4UldEPd15zfazPkOGBXsmLj6EjKbl245-Mv4ERZFPhf7xTH4s5BqMvakEZo5tzOYMtRBbQ/s1600/Lacoste2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5R_TDuh0_2JRxa3PMomNK1BVXZpFODS16k6lEPLvNpRh5GchSw-Ahy-pQw3utUbH33zkJ4UldEPd15zfazPkOGBXsmLj6EjKbl245-Mv4ERZFPhf7xTH4s5BqMvakEZo5tzOYMtRBbQ/s320/Lacoste2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWO1yC0wVd1N62ZZSzyGgoMJIsfz1CCpixW_sF1eJzsjBvl2R5aHb5fAiBbhhMecDQUY4ysmAU_gpKOeBv-VaAvH1yZSYx4N0B4WZ9Nc1PwN4x369XV0Xdn3725cbOQyV_KD4Zbh2zUc/s1600/Lacoste3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWO1yC0wVd1N62ZZSzyGgoMJIsfz1CCpixW_sF1eJzsjBvl2R5aHb5fAiBbhhMecDQUY4ysmAU_gpKOeBv-VaAvH1yZSYx4N0B4WZ9Nc1PwN4x369XV0Xdn3725cbOQyV_KD4Zbh2zUc/s320/Lacoste3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kge3eAPgDdmVwlgCYqWLATQxEqF39dScUDCGa7i6eKR24E0ddLHPJ5-k1DjZKUyMZNNkqNBuCAjAohSVNjOoUjO5dxzMpymJ2uL9ZIkUoG-r5Ii6nNfJsBqyvVNpGHV9etSqHH09h54/s1600/Lacoste4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kge3eAPgDdmVwlgCYqWLATQxEqF39dScUDCGa7i6eKR24E0ddLHPJ5-k1DjZKUyMZNNkqNBuCAjAohSVNjOoUjO5dxzMpymJ2uL9ZIkUoG-r5Ii6nNfJsBqyvVNpGHV9etSqHH09h54/s320/Lacoste4.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/08/galerie-blue-dog-carmel.html" target="_blank">Rodrigue Studio Carmel</a> occupies a brightly lit
location on busy Dolores Street near the corner of Ocean Avenue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rodrigue continued to paint for the
gallery and its windows, but he enjoyed more flexibility in the larger space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2000 we <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/09/not-painting-in-carmel.html" target="_blank">owned a home</a> in nearby
Carmel Valley and George painted most of his artwork, whether for Carmel or New
Orleans, in his studio there, preferring the quiet inspiration of the Santa
Lucia Mountains to the hectic pace of his otherwise public life.</div>
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***</div>
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In 1986 seventeen hatchlings became the first white
alligators ever recorded, when they were found by chance in the Louisiana
swamps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Louisiana Land and
Exploration Company discovered the 9-inch babies in their nest, rescuing them
before predators took notice of the glowing animals.</div>
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Now full-grown and on view at several habitats across the
United States, including the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, the alligators are not
albinos, but rather have a rare genetic condition called leucism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their piercing blue eyes contribute to
their exotic appearance and mystique.</div>
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George, like many, was fascinated by this remarkable
discovery and viewed the alligators often, eventually painting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spooked by Bourré</i> in 1993 --- his only
painting ever of a white alligator. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called the alligator in his painting Bourré after one of
the young white alligators named after the popular Cajun card game and now
living in a south Florida zoo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBegyPGYACLtdWNfeIo5g8G5ha53g2oSAWdmCQrzjB4hyphenhyphenYvMH7cqEl_dqwFkMBnXsWD3QxNdKvUoW1e9PDbkIiIPkTIEKTzGmeHIOox9rQ_Dq1UwHo076paCvpClsrChxeobiMXMFyhA/s1600/Bourre1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBegyPGYACLtdWNfeIo5g8G5ha53g2oSAWdmCQrzjB4hyphenhyphenYvMH7cqEl_dqwFkMBnXsWD3QxNdKvUoW1e9PDbkIiIPkTIEKTzGmeHIOox9rQ_Dq1UwHo076paCvpClsrChxeobiMXMFyhA/s320/Bourre1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkCp52eeT_7vkAl4KgGccgnrUvoSmO6L7kN0s5snbCQaj6HupGsDpOl0OWggksZqP-kDxj8b9okFITeUkbIKaDMSkTYNVCMKSHW4foRDgbs8fuy-6ubbmXXs4T7oCJbivsX4dIdESvfk/s1600/Bourre2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkCp52eeT_7vkAl4KgGccgnrUvoSmO6L7kN0s5snbCQaj6HupGsDpOl0OWggksZqP-kDxj8b9okFITeUkbIKaDMSkTYNVCMKSHW4foRDgbs8fuy-6ubbmXXs4T7oCJbivsX4dIdESvfk/s320/Bourre2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RNHiQMT8HNiDhYMAlDwRk6EoLPvLSpLEQ6mZh78TXoWUdEDeAFjGYJ28_TwtDSM20VRuChFUg22LFZLhr1aq5laFZ6yNBz5X4OCmoSy-eTCn6U-iuwLGNGPhA3v-YmMivTHVJCvbSsI/s1600/Bourre3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RNHiQMT8HNiDhYMAlDwRk6EoLPvLSpLEQ6mZh78TXoWUdEDeAFjGYJ28_TwtDSM20VRuChFUg22LFZLhr1aq5laFZ6yNBz5X4OCmoSy-eTCn6U-iuwLGNGPhA3v-YmMivTHVJCvbSsI/s320/Bourre3.png" width="226" /></a></div>
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George painted this mysteriously-colored alligator and its
Florida palm tree alongside his own mysteriously-colored <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html" target="_blank">Blue Dog</a> and his Louisiana <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/early-oak-trees-and-regrettable-self.html" target="_blank">live oak</a>.</div>
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See <i>Spooked by Bourré</i> (1993, 24x20 inches) and <i>Lacoste Lineup</i>, two unique paintings within a private collection for twenty-plus years, and now on view for a limited time at Rodrigue Studio and for the first time ever in New Orleans-</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_H4Yn7yYdPoRza9WT8-x2OnsKrOdAT4AczlrmvZRzcm6APl-CrUF1Ju2EsxQlF6rkOoQGoqpxsqa1etBD6qrr63cTA9Gz35yh5q7_mSVavNIqO2unj-1sK-aY5pWxxAUktgfl8wfVnQQ/s1600/Spooked+by+Bourre+1993+24x20+oil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_H4Yn7yYdPoRza9WT8-x2OnsKrOdAT4AczlrmvZRzcm6APl-CrUF1Ju2EsxQlF6rkOoQGoqpxsqa1etBD6qrr63cTA9Gz35yh5q7_mSVavNIqO2unj-1sK-aY5pWxxAUktgfl8wfVnQQ/s320/Spooked+by+Bourre+1993+24x20+oil.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Wendy</div>
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<i>-sadly, Spots, one of the original hatchlings who lived at the Audubon Aquarium since 1990, and a brother to Bourré, passed away at the age of 28 in September 2015-<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>-for a related post and paintings see "Alligator Crossing" linked <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/07/alligator-crossing.html" target="_blank">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-join me at the <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/join-the-rodrigue-family-at-the-bayou-teche-museum/" target="_blank">Bayou Teche Museum </a>in George Rodrigue's <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/how-baby-george-became-artist.html" target="_blank">hometown</a> of New Iberia, Louisiana, on Thursday, January 28th, 2016 for the unveiling of his "<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/03/saga-of-acadians.html" target="_blank">Saga of the Acadians</a>"; for tickets and info call (337) 606-5977-</i></div>
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<i>-please join me on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wendy.rodrigue/">wendy.rodrigue</a> ....I think I get it now- </i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacBibyNGuAFoIIXvWFIoyl1_jc181gkGVbn8H8gj2eod6QbBPNYyX9UJw9ikirPBZEc0LUEi08yHFeKICaD81P7XiXUH6XITdK06DfRRtU3jHLZgYHDmhtSyXPG3DvCuLR3D0u6xhA3M/s1600/Chicken+crossing+the+road+Duval+Street+Key+West+DM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacBibyNGuAFoIIXvWFIoyl1_jc181gkGVbn8H8gj2eod6QbBPNYyX9UJw9ikirPBZEc0LUEi08yHFeKICaD81P7XiXUH6XITdK06DfRRtU3jHLZgYHDmhtSyXPG3DvCuLR3D0u6xhA3M/s320/Chicken+crossing+the+road+Duval+Street+Key+West+DM.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-64412636603476149322015-12-08T15:30:00.000-06:002015-12-08T15:44:36.639-06:00Rodrigue Comes Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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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.</div>
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However, after spending a whirlwind week in Louisiana, I’m
ready to post quickly and then get on with things like …..Christmas shopping, walking
the historic Santa Fe Plaza, wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, and, well,
reflecting, being, living, in my new life in the City Different.</div>
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This also includes the arts, such as the inaugural
exhibition of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/editiononegalllery/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Edition One Gallery</a>, featuring an original (and debut) photograph
by George Rodrigue (I’ll post on this later), as well as an evening supporting
the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Santa-Fe-Artists-Medical-Fund-1486018255014254/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Santa Fe Artist’s Medical Fund</a>, established many years ago by George’s good
friend, artist <a href="http://www.alarastudio.com/" target="_blank">Armond Lara</a>.</div>
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<b><u>A Louisiana Return, in photographs-</u></b></div>
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So there you have it, a 5-day journey to a former life, a
place I never thought I’d go without him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I now know that I’ll return to Louisiana more often, and other places as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my surprise, I felt
welcome, loved, and missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
most important…. </div>
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...I felt <i>him</i>...</div>
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Thank you, Louisiana. I've missed you too. And I'll be seeing you-</div>
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Wendy</div>
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<i>-within this post, from the top: the <a href="http://bayoutechemuseum.org/" target="_blank">Bayou Teche Museum</a> in George's hometown of New Iberia; Ridge Elementary School in Duson, a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/" target="_blank">Louisiana A+ School</a>; the <a href="http://hilliardmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum</a> at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; the historic Heymann House and UL Alumni Center, where I signed <a href="http://www.ulpress.org/catalog.php?item=141" target="_blank">The Other Side of the Painting</a> as part of the UL Press Holiday Book Sale; <a href="http://www.jolieslouisianabistro.com/" target="_blank">Jolie's Louisiana Bistro</a> in Lafayette, featuring <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/aioli-dinner-and-cajun-artist.html" target="_blank">George's Cajun paintings</a>; J. Wallace James Elementary School in Scott, a <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/" target="_blank">Louisiana A+ School</a>; the Rodrigue warehouse in Lafayette, including the new print <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/art/stamped-cajun-prints/" target="_blank">Saints on the Bayou</a>; the new <a href="http://bluedogcafe.com/" target="_blank">Blue Dog Cafe</a> in Lake Charles; <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/galleries/" target="_blank">Rodrigue Studio</a> in New Orleans (along with the 1989 Rodrigue Gallery sign I stumbled on in the warehouse); a reception for "<a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/louisiana-graveyards/" target="_blank">Louisiana Graveyards</a>" with original paintings by George Rodrigue spanning 40 years; my sister <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/06/musings-of-heather-great-artists-sister.html" target="_blank">Heather</a> and I channel childhood holidays with Grandma Helen in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel; a reunion with treasured girlfriends at Commander's Palace. .....and throughout, George's sons <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/11/andre-and-jacques-rodrigue-brothers.html" target="_blank">Jacques and André</a>, along with Rodrigue staff and friends, and the inspiring and creative students, teachers, administrators, and educators connected to Ridge Elementary, J. Wallace James Elementary, <a href="http://www.aplusla.org/" target="_blank">Louisiana A+ Schools</a>, and the <a href="http://www.rodriguefoundation.org/site.php" target="_blank">George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-for more pictures, please join me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wendy.rodrigue/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>-</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>-and finally, because George would insist I share these outtakes ...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER6yGBBHptBji-x_6ENrPOQabuBIr_nRvrpBQZr05Fde-7AQG-aGcoZvEokbKP5XOEJVh4QDq1kE9fzU1hyphenhyphen8xeNjquMu7lXoqThdr23OcSiGoRo0RO_R-EAeoWZajuqBQZgVB3w-h9RQ/s1600/DSC_0807.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER6yGBBHptBji-x_6ENrPOQabuBIr_nRvrpBQZr05Fde-7AQG-aGcoZvEokbKP5XOEJVh4QDq1kE9fzU1hyphenhyphen8xeNjquMu7lXoqThdr23OcSiGoRo0RO_R-EAeoWZajuqBQZgVB3w-h9RQ/s320/DSC_0807.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmePdj0EUvmBN5ZzwjlDZC7L2Q2DNjNxBFMz3dH231_86X-AdMSCscnuiKv2BrREnSb9jTgNqRlmA0q8kV0QpERdf_lMCwljpySwe46uSjOwKtjJ_GEmjY3ccpO_9BKm4ry5QW4Q60FG8/s1600/IMG_2624.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmePdj0EUvmBN5ZzwjlDZC7L2Q2DNjNxBFMz3dH231_86X-AdMSCscnuiKv2BrREnSb9jTgNqRlmA0q8kV0QpERdf_lMCwljpySwe46uSjOwKtjJ_GEmjY3ccpO_9BKm4ry5QW4Q60FG8/s320/IMG_2624.JPG" width="183" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UuT-bXpniDvRXfowQD-g4CCVvbiEcgh0MLzSa6Mcidhr1hyAE4qXAfzhTvZ5eLRTB5f2L5kMYAtRWLUpAyt_o7AVIyjUXDQJbV1zbq09X5_pyhc1zYxfEMejjVwMe7T3H89kJNqSlJc/s1600/DSC_0808.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UuT-bXpniDvRXfowQD-g4CCVvbiEcgh0MLzSa6Mcidhr1hyAE4qXAfzhTvZ5eLRTB5f2L5kMYAtRWLUpAyt_o7AVIyjUXDQJbV1zbq09X5_pyhc1zYxfEMejjVwMe7T3H89kJNqSlJc/s320/DSC_0808.JPG" width="179" /></a></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-28737558197209624582015-11-24T11:10:00.000-06:002015-11-24T11:14:40.961-06:00The Moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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“What are you thinking about?” I asked George, following
hours of silence. “The road,” he
replied.</div>
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After dozens of cross-country journeys together over twenty
years, his answer was always the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I stopped asking, and pondered, instead, his answer.</div>
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George wasn’t speaking of the asphalt, although he did reminisce about old Route 66 and the way it hugged the terrain. He was more likely to note the O’Keeffe clouds, the long shadows, the golden light, the far horizon, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/04/the-silent-west.html" target="_blank">the WEST</a>. </div>
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(pictured: <i>Santa Fe Sky</i>, 2013 by George Rodrigue, an unrealized design for metal found on his computer; click photo to enlarge-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPt3Dt6aNfpNLFs-UePWXkDJtxj9h2mt5OBjv2rlRj6XDrNIr4zKv-qE_NI_34xWztoaocaMHhyphenhyphenzqTNTPX_qnYMsqk3rHiU-wupoLPhKjP3MxursOwCJnbgsPg1V2Es-B0xBcDvNl75sw/s1600/SANTA+FE+SKY+METAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPt3Dt6aNfpNLFs-UePWXkDJtxj9h2mt5OBjv2rlRj6XDrNIr4zKv-qE_NI_34xWztoaocaMHhyphenhyphenzqTNTPX_qnYMsqk3rHiU-wupoLPhKjP3MxursOwCJnbgsPg1V2Es-B0xBcDvNl75sw/s320/SANTA+FE+SKY+METAL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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During these long hours in our truck, through his
dedication (as opposed to discipline) at his easel, and by the way he stared
from the hill behind our house in Carmel Valley, George taught me about the
moment. It came naturally to
him. He was always in it.</div>
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(pictured: <i>Rodrigue in Studio</i>, 2011 by George Rodrigue; click photo to enlarge)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbXcPSZ2dpBQ3XTWLGpS-gRwIels6SFH9nXnzcQobd0pCS2DITdCWBDeN5y68_0HJm80x9L2amEPOtD5owTegm75t2lnGiA7xpsFPl_kvNx4JPZ77fgqpDvqthhZPyKmzfCT4oUxTopc/s1600/RODRIGUE-IN-STUDIO-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbXcPSZ2dpBQ3XTWLGpS-gRwIels6SFH9nXnzcQobd0pCS2DITdCWBDeN5y68_0HJm80x9L2amEPOtD5owTegm75t2lnGiA7xpsFPl_kvNx4JPZ77fgqpDvqthhZPyKmzfCT4oUxTopc/s320/RODRIGUE-IN-STUDIO-2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don’t think I fully understood the moment until the last
few months of George’s illness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Encouraged by his doctors and by my own optimism, I <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/08/courage-for-our-friends.html" target="_blank">honestly believed</a> he
was going to pull through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t imagine it or dream it as a possibility; rather, I thought about him,
and about us, in what I now think is the same way he thought about the
road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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There was less worry concerning
what might or might not happen then there was in just being with what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i> happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something as simple as holding hands or exchanging a look
became the whole of the experience.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOlYEBH2tMKl2wb83AfaLB76RgaXK_qM2pzK7V0d1eDSDfT-Ak-Ei9RzLJDBbTkL_2xN006NY9GW0Vku3hX6_PpJ17d0bzM8rKNLdYO4zevfgAqgXv8KLMguy_p3Olj_Z39nTu0Om5kA/s1600/Looking+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOlYEBH2tMKl2wb83AfaLB76RgaXK_qM2pzK7V0d1eDSDfT-Ak-Ei9RzLJDBbTkL_2xN006NY9GW0Vku3hX6_PpJ17d0bzM8rKNLdYO4zevfgAqgXv8KLMguy_p3Olj_Z39nTu0Om5kA/s320/Looking+cropped.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
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My <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2015/10/saints-on-bayou.html" target="_blank">last post</a> was “normal and informative about George and
his art,” noted <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/06/musings-of-heather-great-artists-sister.html" target="_blank">my sister</a>, “like the old days.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew it couldn’t last, though, as I’ve struggled to post
something, anything, in recent weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You see, it’s the holidays, eleven years since <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/02/mignons-flowers.html" target="_blank">Mignon</a> and two years
since George, and it’s complicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This moment calls for something else ---- something just as true <u>in fact</u>,
but even truer <u>in sentiment</u>.</div>
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I recently saw the movie/documentary <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peggy Guggenheim:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Art
Addict</i> and reflect again on <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/06/footnote-he-stopped-loving-her-today.html" target="_blank">my role</a>, such as it is, in life, in the art
world, and in George’s world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t have her name, nor her money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although I collect art, I’ve never thought of myself as a “patron” of
the arts, as a Peggy Guggenheim who discovers, nurtures, and takes credit for
the likes of Pollock and Calder and Ernst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve always been uncomfortable with the notion, suggested by
some, that I enhanced or at least shifted George’s career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Make no mistake… George was a prolific painter
and artistic genius long before I came along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t deserve credit for anything but the easiest and most
natural of realities --- I loved him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is all. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwagSBxUgEwCN4z9wjqilenDV6ep6NH0kuHgX6PF4pyMsrWiyanUz-Y64WymcOGQDeXI_2HPcp7KANkZRtjqPPNhFhCTZM-595Poya_jsu3gtCCJBJv1ADM74fGppMGmj-T3I8w9Mp_U/s1600/Hot+Dog+Halo+Santa+Fe+2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwagSBxUgEwCN4z9wjqilenDV6ep6NH0kuHgX6PF4pyMsrWiyanUz-Y64WymcOGQDeXI_2HPcp7KANkZRtjqPPNhFhCTZM-595Poya_jsu3gtCCJBJv1ADM74fGppMGmj-T3I8w9Mp_U/s320/Hot+Dog+Halo+Santa+Fe+2015.JPG" width="296" /></a></div>
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(pictured: <i>Hot Dog Halo</i> 1995, George's first painting of me, and <i>Blue Hands</i> circa 2000 by <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/02/mignons-flowers.html" target="_blank">Mignon Wolfe</a>, because sometimes I place my hands on hers, and she's there--- as they hang at this moment in my bedroom-)</div>
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I’ve often heard that when a person loses their life’s
partner that their friends drift away, not knowing how best to help or relate
to the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because I was in
a focused moment during George’s last weeks of life and in a foggy moment for
much of the past two years, I never thought about this in terms of my own
situation.</div>
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Upon reflection, however, the truth is that in my case,
friends tried, with genuine concern and affection, to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was the one who pushed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">them</i> away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could even be said that I abandoned them, unable to face mine
and George’s world--- the world that is represented by New Orleans, Carmel, and
our many friends--- without him. </div>
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I know it’s selfish of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People have explained that in shutting them out, I’m
enhancing their pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a link
to George.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been for a long
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years many people befriended
me with hopes of growing closer to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That never bothered me, because I too wanted to be close to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand, perhaps better than
anyone, this desire to be in his world!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9bZyhimGF_QEc_O4LvryUMSeIanhsdFGqGcXZd62Te4nOwyW8hcI-_971svA9BT_z1lNfQKpZnJ7F40icPdE0gwdLLGqirskfTcn7XwbgaJ21ZDHXDLeOEw91cI8grsM1p2dIzAQ024/s1600/DSC01589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9bZyhimGF_QEc_O4LvryUMSeIanhsdFGqGcXZd62Te4nOwyW8hcI-_971svA9BT_z1lNfQKpZnJ7F40icPdE0gwdLLGqirskfTcn7XwbgaJ21ZDHXDLeOEw91cI8grsM1p2dIzAQ024/s320/DSC01589.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It is for this reason that I’ve committed to returning to
New Orleans and, to some degree, a public life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the right thing to do --- for George, for our friends,
and for his fans and collectors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At this time, it’s not a permanent or even long return, but it is my
biggest leap so far in this direction.</div>
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I’ll be in Louisiana early December visiting schools with
the <a href="http://rodriguefoundation.org/site.php" target="_blank">George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts</a>, opening the new <a href="http://bluedogcafe.com/" target="_blank">Blue Dog Café</a> in
Lake Charles, signing books at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/212368212428613/" target="_blank">UL Press Holiday Book Sale</a> and, along with my
stepsons André and Jacques, hosting a <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/reception-and-book-signing-with-the-rodrigue-family/" target="_blank">New Orleans gallery reception</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR06ibeKe5tPmo3ZjRo2QjESXe7gFHHuohg0YvD4Pghe6v3UPV3L7XdbCyCJSyvOXo9adtwLS1ROr34NDQRMzU4eu9L40Q2j0MwBKrUCqtGKWR7iD6sZVlUQoYkRf2NbOyBXsoXhaQfJM/s1600/wendy%2527s+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR06ibeKe5tPmo3ZjRo2QjESXe7gFHHuohg0YvD4Pghe6v3UPV3L7XdbCyCJSyvOXo9adtwLS1ROr34NDQRMzU4eu9L40Q2j0MwBKrUCqtGKWR7iD6sZVlUQoYkRf2NbOyBXsoXhaQfJM/s320/wendy%2527s+beach.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If these moments transcend, placing myself and others firmly on a new road lined with George's visions and dreams, I’ll return more often, and maybe, just maybe, find a way once again to call Louisiana (and eventually, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/08/galerie-blue-dog-carmel.html" target="_blank">Carmel</a>) home.</div>
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Wendy</div>
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<i>Pictured above, <u>Wendy's Beach</u>, 2013 by George Rodrigue, an unrealized design for metal found on George's computer; click photo to enlarge-</i></div>
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<i>-Please join me in the moment for next week's public
events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In both cases, I’ll be signing
<a href="http://www.ulpress.org/catalog.php?item=141" target="_blank">The Other Side of the Painting</a>, a book I wrote about George’s life and art, donating 100% of my proceeds to the George
Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, including college scholarships, art supplies
for schools, and arts integration through Louisiana A+ Schools:</i></div>
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<i>---<b><u>December 1</u></b><sup><b><u>st</u></b> </sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Tuesday) in Lafayette, Louisiana:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>UL Holiday Book Sale at the UL Alumni Center, 600 E. St.
Mary Blvd. 5-7 p.m. FREE. Details linked <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/wendy-rodrigue-at-holiday-book-sale-december-1/" target="_blank">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i>---<b><u>December 3<sup>rd</sup></u></b> (Thursday) in New Orleans:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a reception honoring George Rodrigue, featuring
the special exhibition “Louisiana Graveyards” at Rodrigue Studio, 730 Royal St.
6-8 p.m. FREE; please r.s.v.p. <a href="mailto:gus@georgerodrigue.com">gus@georgerodrigue.com</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details linked <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/reception-and-book-signing-with-the-rodrigue-family/" target="_blank">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-In addition, in the spirit of the moment, I’m now posting on
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/wendy.rodrigue/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>-</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-43600719937091065752015-10-28T11:35:00.000-05:002015-10-29T13:23:53.830-05:00Saints on the Bayou<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">“As I grow older, my mind expands. I suspend reality on my canvas with greater confidence,
exploring not just the trees and grass, but also the mysterious and the
mystical.”</span>-George Rodrigue, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/09/blue-fall-in-louisiana.html" target="_blank">2012</a></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYMBDfFCnwtWfSNePNHp3H1wHoEqdLP3sMHeWtbZxIWzbCfrXORbzV0RDLmz7fEafTE0oDIsIkUtvUDob-tsvXj1AdJLIp6gmFXnaryIZk8_YcnofV_D1sxH986TuhbWJq5Y_WoGy1as/s1600/Saints+on+the+Bayou+2009+15x30+OIL+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYMBDfFCnwtWfSNePNHp3H1wHoEqdLP3sMHeWtbZxIWzbCfrXORbzV0RDLmz7fEafTE0oDIsIkUtvUDob-tsvXj1AdJLIp6gmFXnaryIZk8_YcnofV_D1sxH986TuhbWJq5Y_WoGy1as/s320/Saints+on+the+Bayou+2009+15x30+OIL+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1470401651"></span><span id="goog_1470401652"></span><br /></div>
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(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saints on
the Bayou</i>, 2009 by George Rodrigue, now available as a fine art print; click the photo to enlarge this beautiful late landscape, painted on canvas with water-based oil, 15x30 inches)<br />
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From his earliest <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/early-oak-trees-and-regrettable-self.html" target="_blank">Landscapes</a> and throughout his paintings of <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/aioli-dinner-and-cajun-artist.html" target="_blank">Cajuns</a>, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html" target="_blank">Blue Dogs</a>, and the late figurative works, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/05/nude-figure.html" target="_blank">Bodies</a>, George incorporated
his fascination with Louisiana’s cemeteries into his artwork.<br />
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Along with <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/10/paintin-shrimp-boats-and-pickin-crabs.html" target="_blank">shrimp boats</a> and <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/early-oak-trees-and-regrettable-self.html" target="_blank">oak trees</a>, these “Cities of the
Dead” were among his first subjects once he “got serious and abandoned any
thoughts of a real job” (he used to say)--- dedicating his life <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2015/09/an-intimate-painter.html" target="_blank">to painting</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4m8MVGbdH3AjVP82KBDvjUI3y0QwoxA851CSjspByyF_ZV4WwofT0-e977oYv18qgYb7IS3suntpC763-YGKWMNUmD6l_9y9EhfN9_COG_Ybh3Fekja6aMzxZt-zIni83QvyXotTk9mY/s1600/Untitled+1971+24x12+RODRIGUE+best+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4m8MVGbdH3AjVP82KBDvjUI3y0QwoxA851CSjspByyF_ZV4WwofT0-e977oYv18qgYb7IS3suntpC763-YGKWMNUmD6l_9y9EhfN9_COG_Ybh3Fekja6aMzxZt-zIni83QvyXotTk9mY/s320/Untitled+1971+24x12+RODRIGUE+best+photo.JPG" width="156" /></a></div>
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(pictured, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Untitled</i>,
1971 by George Rodrigue, 24x12 inches, oil on canvas; click photo to enlarge-)<br />
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“The tombs seem to float above the ground to reveal the
relationship between living and dead, states which are not that different ---at
least to the Cajuns, who really do live with the dead.”--- George Rodrigue, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/01/cajuns-book.html" target="_blank">The Cajuns of George Rodrigue</a></i> (Oxmoor House, 1976).<br />
<br />
This interest in tombs transitioned easily within the <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html" target="_blank">Blue Dog Series</a>. The first Blue Dog painting, in fact, includes tomb-like stepping stones, referencing the <i>loup-garou</i>, a mythical Cajun ghost dog or werewolf said to lurk in cemeteries.<br />
<br />
(pictured, the first Blue Dog painting, <i>Watch Dog</i>, 1984 by George Rodrigue, 40x30 inches, oil on canvas, full story <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html" target="_blank">here</a>-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKJUznWOf1J3Z3UGFIWoQx5uzzKNSXvMlaM93ukF2oIA4aHy0TmxJnxH5W-H_soZTPY9x_fdGDJqUoTnyr7w6iVzO0bYCVH6xqlOsp9B5eWo7SAZiYUdWa8b-b-PftJTPfOXN7oZSa9s/s1600/Watchdog+1984+40x30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKJUznWOf1J3Z3UGFIWoQx5uzzKNSXvMlaM93ukF2oIA4aHy0TmxJnxH5W-H_soZTPY9x_fdGDJqUoTnyr7w6iVzO0bYCVH6xqlOsp9B5eWo7SAZiYUdWa8b-b-PftJTPfOXN7oZSa9s/s320/Watchdog+1984+40x30.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
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In one of his last paintings, <i>He Stopped Loving Her Today</i>, George again visits this motif:<br />
<br />
"I wanted to paint a tribute to George Jones," he explained. "I've loved this song for thirty years, and even though I've painted the Blue Dog before on tombs, this one is particularly special, because I reference the woman he loves. Her hat is a remembrance alongside his grave." Read <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/06/footnote-he-stopped-loving-her-today.html" target="_blank">more</a>-<br />
<br />
(pictured, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/art/prints/new-editions/#2" target="_blank">He Stopped Loving Her Today</a></i>, 2013 by George Rodrigue, 60x40 inches, acrylic on canvas; click photo to enlarge-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7hqLQoHcd9u2ebqTsgNoVXWjM5KqX209Aq9Cjr45jYzt8UAb1a1NdxOk4mMJtby2uiwTYL_JW8a_bXz4DqsPI_n1ZBgPbOpd61lGokffixcFVPR5dIPdK1jcXJmfY6sHzRzREcbgoyA/s1600/He+Stopped+Loving+Her+Today+2013+60x40+HI+RES+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7hqLQoHcd9u2ebqTsgNoVXWjM5KqX209Aq9Cjr45jYzt8UAb1a1NdxOk4mMJtby2uiwTYL_JW8a_bXz4DqsPI_n1ZBgPbOpd61lGokffixcFVPR5dIPdK1jcXJmfY6sHzRzREcbgoyA/s320/He+Stopped+Loving+Her+Today+2013+60x40+HI+RES+copy.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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George’s parents were the youngest of a combined twenty-four
siblings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, the young
artist <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/how-baby-george-became-artist.html" target="_blank">grew up</a> attending funerals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He recalled <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/05/marie-courrege-rodrigue.html" target="_blank">his mother</a>, devout in her Catholicism, white-washing the
tombs of her parents on All Saints Day in his hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana, and he often helped <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/06/george-godfrey-rodrigue-sr-daddy-and.html" target="_blank">his father</a> in the
family business, “<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/tombs-in-life-and-art-of-george.html" target="_blank">Rodrigue’s Portable Concrete Burial Vaults</a>.” <br />
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South Louisiana’s recurrent flash floods occasionally caused
problems, and in some cases the tombs floated from their plots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wearing rubber waders and carrying a
sledgehammer, young George knocked the corners from the floating tombs,
sinking them for good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtl-Cw435xlAswMEXAKXlAK9OCTMSJ9gNrI0BM0wQUQuXaHpkOFbbJ2YBVAr-Sc4jmGBLjW_kzOdhSvfHSxq8IYhFuDTpV6TZrfJs-mOYUzC1bwJ18EL-xlWTqwwfikN7wxl9DlotFo7w/s1600/A+Safe+Place+Forever+best+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtl-Cw435xlAswMEXAKXlAK9OCTMSJ9gNrI0BM0wQUQuXaHpkOFbbJ2YBVAr-Sc4jmGBLjW_kzOdhSvfHSxq8IYhFuDTpV6TZrfJs-mOYUzC1bwJ18EL-xlWTqwwfikN7wxl9DlotFo7w/s320/A+Safe+Place+Forever+best+photo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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“I call this painting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A
Safe Place Forever</i>" (1984, pictured above), explained George.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“When I was a child, a flood swept through the great
Atchafalaya basin, carrying with it everything that wasn’t nailed down or
buried (and you can’t bury much in the swampy bayou).”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“When the
waters receded, I was among the first to discover a large stone casket cradled
in the branches of a huge oak tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The people in the parish took this as a fearful omen, and so there the
tomb stayed for many weeks, haunting us from its perch.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgjHDZtCXliAn2ZCo-QWZSY49HqiCzsa3D0cw6LGoLdL93m5lOzSgfaDJLIwqbH1JyKmZtjppB1L_FGDl2l9lW5HPVPcn8B5OVkYVvQs7GRkoNUdB6WTjs2QiZDrtL0O6wTTqT85oRXI/s1600/CH02_019_spiritsinthetreesTIF+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgjHDZtCXliAn2ZCo-QWZSY49HqiCzsa3D0cw6LGoLdL93m5lOzSgfaDJLIwqbH1JyKmZtjppB1L_FGDl2l9lW5HPVPcn8B5OVkYVvQs7GRkoNUdB6WTjs2QiZDrtL0O6wTTqT85oRXI/s320/CH02_019_spiritsinthetreesTIF+copy.png" width="225" /></a></div>
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(pictured above, <i>Spirits in the Trees</i>, 1992 by George Rodrigue, 33x23 inches, original silkscreen edition of 85; story <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/10/spirits-in-trees.html" target="_blank">here</a>-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-dMI-encliwN7S9xz89nd8nGv80YY4Qgb-ZYH844RWtTpwgHciZO8xw7zC28-j2CldI-vIZ63lqJU4Gi_tOhwUIUB2fO8NYDj7NUe4KWKwCTSfmqxa8jlcnREMtjRAMp6poEYQ11EDU/s1600/A+Sea+Chest+of+Secrets+best+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-dMI-encliwN7S9xz89nd8nGv80YY4Qgb-ZYH844RWtTpwgHciZO8xw7zC28-j2CldI-vIZ63lqJU4Gi_tOhwUIUB2fO8NYDj7NUe4KWKwCTSfmqxa8jlcnREMtjRAMp6poEYQ11EDU/s320/A+Sea+Chest+of+Secrets+best+photo.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
<br />
(pictured above, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Sea Chest
of Secrets (Pirate Jean Lafitte)</i>, 1984 by George Rodrigue; oil on canvas, 40x30 inches; story <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/10/secret-of-pirate-lafittes-gold.html" target="_blank">here</a>-)</div>
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Throughout his career, George explored the supernatural in
his artwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He painted <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/07/boudreaux-in-barrel.html" target="_blank">the Cajuns</a>
as though they are ghosts, floating, often without feet, and yet locked into
the landscape and framed by the trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cut off at the top, the near-black oak creates interesting shapes
beneath its branches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The small
bright sky represents the hope of a displaced people.<br />
<br />
(pictured, <i>The Day We Told Tee Coon Good-bye</i>, 1976 by George Rodrigue, 24x36 inches, oil on canvas; click photo to enlarge-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuzG9nQV8BW6j2DF7s8AUqa0qmIhHOt55PLgGcTHTXSfbjoDqsQAX02N0KyZxekT9NfxJsIInTgwilRVtwVaZ-mTUswwA1RdC_Pw5qdc79IO7I2nmtTpIup0W3-dIHGuR05dCybVu-1w/s1600/The+Day+We+Told+Tee+Coon+Goodbye+1976+24x36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuzG9nQV8BW6j2DF7s8AUqa0qmIhHOt55PLgGcTHTXSfbjoDqsQAX02N0KyZxekT9NfxJsIInTgwilRVtwVaZ-mTUswwA1RdC_Pw5qdc79IO7I2nmtTpIup0W3-dIHGuR05dCybVu-1w/s320/The+Day+We+Told+Tee+Coon+Goodbye+1976+24x36.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Although they live in what should be darkness beneath the
trees, Rodrigue’s figures glow from the inside, illuminated by their spirits
and culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are timeless,
mysterious and otherworldly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1PdScAUlkqmjoBuKXQgTnX6sg21AnECH7UyOxyTgkG8ZDRgEYzLPtQ7Lva197SivW3_AJ7I0n-2to9v2eM48EqQuy05LVNnBo6QW-eP6deQRXJI4hDlqyKV0cqoHVQyLII-yAqaDF90/s1600/Walking+after+midnight.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1PdScAUlkqmjoBuKXQgTnX6sg21AnECH7UyOxyTgkG8ZDRgEYzLPtQ7Lva197SivW3_AJ7I0n-2to9v2eM48EqQuy05LVNnBo6QW-eP6deQRXJI4hDlqyKV0cqoHVQyLII-yAqaDF90/s320/Walking+after+midnight.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div>
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In the case of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Walking
After Midnight</i> (2004, pictured above), George combined a photograph he took at
voodoo queen Marie Laveau’s tomb at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans,
with a <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/09/nature-girl-art-of-modeling.html" target="_blank">photograph he took of me</a>, staged before a solid backcloth within his
California studio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this highly
structured design, he added his signature oak tree, balancing the composition
for both his original painting and, ultimately, the large-scale print currently
on view within “<a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/louisiana-graveyards/" target="_blank">Louisiana Graveyards</a>.”<br />
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The painting, as with most of the Bodies canvases, consists
of a flesh-toned, natural nude figure on a black and white background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This enabled George to manipulate the
colors and saturation in his computer before printing the final artwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result is some fifty unique images
from the <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/05/nude-figure.html" target="_blank">Bodies Series</a> on canvas, paper, and metal, ranging in date from 2003 to 2013 --- many of which reference cemeteries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2j0UmHMYWU_0lxa60FrGoucovioYdL5rg3PaveK_QeXNx3Wq5RdPjZorqQPung5-2KW5f2tm8DbqA4OS4SU5b4shn9k6sxHlaosvvrJd92Ugebhr07n6ruS4Vb0XP8uee7WXY8Re1eUs/s1600/GR+with+Bodies+CARMEL+2003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2j0UmHMYWU_0lxa60FrGoucovioYdL5rg3PaveK_QeXNx3Wq5RdPjZorqQPung5-2KW5f2tm8DbqA4OS4SU5b4shn9k6sxHlaosvvrJd92Ugebhr07n6ruS4Vb0XP8uee7WXY8Re1eUs/s320/GR+with+Bodies+CARMEL+2003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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“I try to show that the tombs and the people are very much
alike,” explained George. “They both are suspended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They both are painted the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They both have the same texture, and they both are locked in South
Louisiana.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJB1WoaEf0YbYtqMSmcQ9EbgW6di2TBSPgl3o_sRpAPGbAkUjdFI-gi6yKa9BAveI-vt__8BxQfa8pDJFVW05lGl0iTIeohaPzGDUxrlVF8cMiGQa5hKmBjmsm9UE3pcMcKc-bH_tJzw/s1600/2002+Grotto+Rampart+Street+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJB1WoaEf0YbYtqMSmcQ9EbgW6di2TBSPgl3o_sRpAPGbAkUjdFI-gi6yKa9BAveI-vt__8BxQfa8pDJFVW05lGl0iTIeohaPzGDUxrlVF8cMiGQa5hKmBjmsm9UE3pcMcKc-bH_tJzw/s320/2002+Grotto+Rampart+Street+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wendy</div>
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<i>*<u>Saints on the Bayou</u> (2009), pictured at the top of this
post, is available as a fine art silkscreen, issued November 2015; estate-stamped edition of 250; contact <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/contact/" target="_blank">Rodrigue Studio</a> or email <a href="mailto:info@georgerodrigue.com">info@georgerodrigue.com</a> for details-</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>-pictured above: “Grotto on Rampart Street,” photograph by
George Rodrigue, 2002-</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>-pictured throughout this post:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>selections from “Louisiana Graveyards,” a unique exhibition
featuring original Rodrigue paintings from 1971-2013, on view through December
19<sup>th</sup>, 2015 at Rodrigue Studio, New Orleans; details <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/louisiana-graveyards/" target="_blank">here</a>-</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>-please join me, along with George's sons André and Jacques, at <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/galleries/rodrigue-studio-new-orleans/" target="_blank">Rodrigue Studio New Orleans</a> for a reception honoring George Rodrigue and these unique works; Thursday, December 3rd, 6-8 p.m. RSVP and more information- <a href="mailto:gus@georgerodrigue.com">gus@georgerodrigue.com</a> or (504) 324-9614</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>-meet <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/08/jacques-george-rodrigue.html" target="_blank">Jacques Rodrigue</a> and <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2015/06/boundless-saved-by-art.html" target="_blank">Mallory Page Rodrigue</a>, son and
daughter-in-law of artist George Rodrigue, signing and presenting two new books
-- <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/product/rodrigue-the-sanders-collection-book/" target="_blank">Rodrigue: The Sanders Collection</a> and <a href="http://www.mallorypage.com/#!book/cjug" target="_blank">The Alchemy Never Starts or Never Stops</a> -- at the Louisiana Book
Festival in Baton Rouge this Saturday, October 31<sup>st</sup>, 3:00 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeRodrigueArt/posts/10153749819631719?notif_t=like" target="_blank">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i><br /></i>
<i>-see the links under "Rodrigue News" at the upper right of this post for a listing of current museum and gallery exhibitions featuring the art of George Rodrigue-</i></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-87901061846657455542015-09-21T09:03:00.002-05:002015-09-21T15:39:28.881-05:00An Intimate Painter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>In his last weeks, while George slept, I watched for hours as he painted in the air….</i></div>
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***</div>
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Several months ago I posted a painting to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeRodrigueArt/timeline/" target="_blank">George’s facebook page</a> along with the words, “For Rodrigue, the Blue Dog, as it exists
on his canvas, never referenced a real dog.” The backlash was immediate, as people defended <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/02/meet-tiffany-original-blue-dog.html" target="_blank">Tiffany</a>,
whose photograph inspired the dog’s shape.</div>
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Yet what I was trying to share is what I have in my head,
as explained to me by George, about how he genuinely feels when he picks up his
brush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, some of the <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/01/blue-dog-book.html" target="_blank">books</a> and
painting titles focus on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">loup-garou</i>
and Tiffany; and it is true that those elements are genuine <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html" target="_blank">origins</a> of the Blue
Dog Series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, while at
his easel George was not thinking about his dog or, similarly, within <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/early-oak-trees-and-regrettable-self.html" target="_blank">his landscapes</a>, an oak tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather,
he was thinking about the elements, process, and tactility of painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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(pictured, George Rodrigue at his easel, June 2013; click photo to enlarge-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTCBUYdJ8bztpn7VMxDFMhxF0e1m0d46EQuKLOh6SncNhpXUX6PIjRvJvWZWmIt_xPcs5U2a-g6GgLuc2jeqwXhnWxnLx8GNOP_m_d9hSgT0qak8QwAgohepUTTvXisUgrPyoyaWtw18/s1600/June+6+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTCBUYdJ8bztpn7VMxDFMhxF0e1m0d46EQuKLOh6SncNhpXUX6PIjRvJvWZWmIt_xPcs5U2a-g6GgLuc2jeqwXhnWxnLx8GNOP_m_d9hSgT0qak8QwAgohepUTTvXisUgrPyoyaWtw18/s320/June+6+2013.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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He repeated countless times, as he moved
his brush with that specific and personal Rodrigue stroke, </div>
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“I love the act of applying paint to the canvas.”</blockquote>
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No matter what he shared with others through books and
speech, it was clear to me that George wanted <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me</i> to understand that <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/07/lucky-dog.html" target="_blank">what he really loved</a>, above all else, was
painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, it was okay for
others to focus on a Cajun myth or on Tiffany or on any number of
interpretations:</div>
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“What others see in the painting is correct also,” George
would say, “because it’s correct for them.”*</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvY02W8XE7txZXuwIh_daePP7yBtiqikrqihln9Pu-5ZY9yRPkHME5E9VTp0V568-2zgO-hbbNUt9ES1lWGB2BxrWyuGuaX38RKT2wJQmr_5BnDmECGalehACIBuzbJhgJ6zhp7oBd23w/s1600/George+Rodrigue+2013+Carmel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvY02W8XE7txZXuwIh_daePP7yBtiqikrqihln9Pu-5ZY9yRPkHME5E9VTp0V568-2zgO-hbbNUt9ES1lWGB2BxrWyuGuaX38RKT2wJQmr_5BnDmECGalehACIBuzbJhgJ6zhp7oBd23w/s320/George+Rodrigue+2013+Carmel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And, most poignant today, he often remarked about his own
work and that of others:</div>
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“<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/03/human-in-painting.html" target="_blank">Great paintings</a> take on a life of their own, beyond the
artist’s intention --- and especially after the artist is gone.”</blockquote>
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That’s why the Blue Dog remains mysterious, and that’s also
why he painted it countless times without becoming bored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> George</span> remained interested not because the
works are an obsession with his long-deceased pet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, his art reflects his obsession with
using paint to create something interesting to <i>his eye</i>, as well as something so
mysterious that it defies, ultimately, any sort of universal or static
interpretation.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNel-R1bPuS56MHbAQKaDQRr1mRCh_G8hvTnPwB1fU8-wjPLuCyanMqxVTm2jvk8nAjyQHU0Dxi2X4CQovHfxHjupaqiR3Pql25wYf6Vwx3RX-46oWvyXwzac1Wb_YPwOWylUIDeB-1I/s1600/Mar+16+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNel-R1bPuS56MHbAQKaDQRr1mRCh_G8hvTnPwB1fU8-wjPLuCyanMqxVTm2jvk8nAjyQHU0Dxi2X4CQovHfxHjupaqiR3Pql25wYf6Vwx3RX-46oWvyXwzac1Wb_YPwOWylUIDeB-1I/s320/Mar+16+2013.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It was George’s nature to joke with others --- not only because he enjoyed seeing people laugh, and laughing with them, but also because he felt confident that his work holds its own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Outside of our relationship, he found the process of explaining his work exhausting, because most people, he felt, would not understand the intimate nature of his artistic expression.</span></div>
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Instead, he joked publicly for years... </div>
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“I
fed Tiffany Gravy Train every day; and now she’s feeding me!”</blockquote>
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At his easel, however, he wasn’t laughing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His focus on shape, design, and
color was intense, as was his dedication to establishing a connection between
the <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/07/starry-starry-eyes-runaway-hit.html" target="_blank">eyes of the dog-shape</a> and the eyes of the viewer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He used these elements to convey a meaning beyond the
obvious, so that <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2015/05/circle-of-life-round-paintings.html" target="_blank">the puzzle</a> never solves itself. Whether<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/early-oak-trees-and-regrettable-self.html" target="_blank"> Landscapes</a>, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/07/boudreaux-in-barrel.html" target="_blank">Cajuns</a>, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/01/hurricanes-series-of-paintings.html" target="_blank">Hurricanes</a>, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/05/nude-figure.html" target="_blank">Bodies</a>, or <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/blue-dog-in-beginning.html" target="_blank">Blue Dogs</a>, despite books, lectures, and blog posts, the ambiguity…or mystery… remains.</div>
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<i>-be sure and click the photo to enlarge-</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbV61TKsoiQzpmUlQG4Cc1NikLnEjev40Ee9Ez6DbHJ5X7pKJXx44CpkYfaO7PdK5HVA4OZj_V_jg0CWdoeZgEakJTu4ifcnu_e17g-nNTmue6wQSTerkGHy5hTV_T-SP8DVd7rac5sk/s1600/Greenfields+2013+42x66+acr+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbV61TKsoiQzpmUlQG4Cc1NikLnEjev40Ee9Ez6DbHJ5X7pKJXx44CpkYfaO7PdK5HVA4OZj_V_jg0CWdoeZgEakJTu4ifcnu_e17g-nNTmue6wQSTerkGHy5hTV_T-SP8DVd7rac5sk/s320/Greenfields+2013+42x66+acr+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So here I sit, muddled, knowing and sharing some of what George intended, while knowing
that even he believed that his intentions, in the long run, don’t really
matter.</div>
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Wendy<br />
<br />
<i>*"The image, it is clear, must be set between the mind or senses of the artist himself and the mind or senses of others." -James Joyce, <u>A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man</u> (1916), p. 247.</i></div>
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<i>-for related posts, see “<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2012/07/lucky-dog.html" target="_blank">Lucky Dog</a>” and "<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/11/the-lone-artist.html" target="_blank">The Lone Artist</a>"-</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">-pictured throughout this post: <u>Greenfields</u></i> <i>(2013, 42x66 inches). </i><i>George intended this late painting, now on view in his <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/08/galerie-blue-dog-carmel.html" target="_blank">Carmel, California gallery</a>, to be a strong abstraction of his landscapes and Cajun genre works, and the closest he’d come so far to perfecting his abstracted style. In addition, h</i><i>e juxtaposed the canvas’s strength of
simplicity and modernism with the East Indian frame’s complexity and historical/cultural
narrative. Years earlier (most famously, with his <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/10/aioli-dinner-and-cajun-artist.html" target="_blank">Aioli Dinner</a> of 1971), he coined the phrase and applied the technique of “painting to the frame." Story <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/01/painting-to-frame.html" target="_blank">here</a>- </i></div>
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<i>-on Wednesday, September 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2015 the
University of Louisiana at Lafayette presents “Rodrigue: Painting to the Frame,” a Flora Levy
Lecture delivered by William Andrews, Director of the Ogden Museum of Southern
Art. Angelle Hall, 7:00 p.m. Free. Learn more <a href="http://www.louisiana.edu/news-events/events/20150910/annual-flora-levy-lecture-george-rodrigue-painting-frame" target="_blank">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-the “Aioli Dinner Supper Club” continues this fall with
unique evenings benefitting the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, inspired by Rodrigue’s painting, <u>Aioli
Dinner</u> (1971).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn more
<a href="http://aiolidinner.com/" target="_blank">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-see the links under “Rodrigue News” to the right of this post for a listing
of Fall 2015 museum and gallery exhibitions featuring the art of George Rodrigue-</i></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-27442952088061986982015-08-25T13:41:00.000-05:002015-08-26T15:07:44.551-05:00For New Orleans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="line-height: 17pt;">Ten years ago this week George and I were in Houston, Texas with </span><span style="line-height: 22.66666603088379px;">most of our staff for an exhibition of his work. None of us knew what was coming and that it would be many months before we returned home to New Orleans. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="line-height: 22.66666603088379px;">In memory of those times, I share with you below a story I wrote in 2011 for the New Orleans weekly paper, <a href="http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2011/08/29/for-new-orleans" target="_blank">Gambit</a>, and integrated later within the book, <a href="http://www.ulpress.org/catalog.php?item=141" target="_blank">The Other Side of the Painting</a> (UL Press, 2013). Honoring, today and always, a wonderful and unique city-</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="line-height: 22.66666603088379px;">*Photographs by <a href="http://www.bernardstudio.com/" target="_blank">Tony Bernard</a> and <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue-selections-from-the-don-sanders-collection/" target="_blank">Don Sanders</a>, September 21, 2005; click to enlarge-</span></i></div>
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<b style="line-height: 22.66666603088379px;"><u>For New Orleans</u></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17pt;">From the back porch of our Faubourg Marigny home, I see the west
bank of the Mississippi River through the branches of our enormous tree, a live
oak that Mr. Foche probably nurtured himself when he built this house in 1835.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">God only knows what the tree has endured. Nicholas Foche, a free man
of color from Jamaica, arrived long before the levees. That means that the
Mississippi River rushed periodically through the ground floor, from the back
door to the front. The water settled at times, I know it did. It delivered
alligators, snakes, and lots and LOTS of rats, and it bred millions of
mosquitoes, spreading fever, disease and death throughout this, a great
American city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OMQlMpzFiQSuNXEPJzwqEu3dQfNV2nGPx04RsCY-2hcuBgWsDhvyWfwj5StXgAf4AMdOf8z9PD9dec4NjQMJfVRT4MXRjVpWp0AYE_i6gW5QYXbB9MaAkdF6-7rkTA6wwsfWQrlhgH4/s1600/DSCF0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OMQlMpzFiQSuNXEPJzwqEu3dQfNV2nGPx04RsCY-2hcuBgWsDhvyWfwj5StXgAf4AMdOf8z9PD9dec4NjQMJfVRT4MXRjVpWp0AYE_i6gW5QYXbB9MaAkdF6-7rkTA6wwsfWQrlhgH4/s320/DSCF0020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17pt;">As a series, I don’t think the HBO production </span><i style="line-height: 17pt;">Tremé</i><i style="line-height: 17pt;"> </i><span style="line-height: 17pt;">(based on a neighborhood only a few blocks from ours) is fabulous,
but on the other hand, the fact that I find it difficult to watch may be a
testament to its insight. I recall the pilot as a misrepresentation, even a joke,
on behalf of the</span><span style="line-height: 17pt;"> <i>Tremé</i></span><i style="line-height: 17pt;"> </i><span style="line-height: 17pt;">writers to suggest restaurants and
groceries and water bills and newly painted houses and dumpsters and taxis (and
Elvis Costello and a limousine!) and Zapp’s potato chips and safe
neighborhoods, and people who feel like singing — all just three months after
the storm.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And yet right this second, six years to the day after George
Rodrigue and I (the oh-so-fortunate) sat in a hotel room in Houston and watched
on television as our city drowned, I sit on our 175-year-old porch and watch
the tops of the ships go by. I see tourists wave to the shore of the river that
made Louisiana the key state in Napoleon’s sale of 828,000 square miles of this
country, and I watch our oak tree, now held together by steel wires and
sprouting strong, near floating, swaying, and shaking its branches to the beat
of New Orleans. Three months after or six years after — I guess it doesn’t much
matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzmI-YzMGcNMAgIWrJ_S-fBNwZTasJQm99-HUlIx0MyL6BdVtk1wHs9sqRrIMuA8lUn7K4Gd2C9VC-qi-SFHeI8IxHUdus4h0Ylv43iCxQTLNYl5bPfCHSdWTDFv4I0vYDry2TpnrSG8/s1600/DSCF0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzmI-YzMGcNMAgIWrJ_S-fBNwZTasJQm99-HUlIx0MyL6BdVtk1wHs9sqRrIMuA8lUn7K4Gd2C9VC-qi-SFHeI8IxHUdus4h0Ylv43iCxQTLNYl5bPfCHSdWTDFv4I0vYDry2TpnrSG8/s320/DSCF0024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We were the lucky ones. Out of our house for only nine months. No
flooding. But much of the old asbestos roof blew off, leaving our house wet,
moldy, uninhabitable, and yet nothing to complain about. I’m ashamed, but
nevertheless admit, that as we stayed with our former neighbors in Lafayette,
George and I worried about our tree:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“What should
we do? How can we save it?”</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We couldn’t ask for help. It’s a tree!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17pt;">Through the kindness of a police officer we were allowed into New
Orleans three days before Hurricane Rita struck. We saw an abandoned city, a
twilight zone, not a car, not a person, not a bird, not a sound, nothing. We
walked through an empty and immaculate Jackson Square, perhaps the only place
in New Orleans devoid of debris, the backdrop of our president's televised
speech.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17pt;">We found our back door wide open and our house remarkably,
shockingly, without vandalism. In the 100-degree heat we climbed up and down
the Creole townhouse's three flights removing paintings.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">You see, we did not evacuate, but rather, by happenstance, were in
Houston for an exhibition. Evacuation differs from weekend travel. Weekend
travel is cocktail dresses, bathing suits and make-up. Evacuation, however, is
paintings and photo albums and whatever that last little thing is that one
dreams of having on a deserted island.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">These are the things we grabbed. Silent and rushing, we observed our
tree from a distance. Its roots raised our courtyard in places three, five, and
six feet high, so that we couldn’t get close. The oak was split but standing,
with George’s life-size painted fiberglass cow (from the 1999 Chicago Cow
Parade) caught upside down, high in its branches. Pained for our entire city,
we stared silently at our tree and ignored the complaints of our (later
replaced) insurance adjustor:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“I can’t work
in these hot conditions! Where can I get a cold drink? Don't you have a better
way to pack those paintings? That bathroom is filthy!”</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We have pictures of all of this, but I hate looking at them and
share only the few in this essay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Tremé</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> misses
a lot. But I think that’s okay. The show actually idealizes us in some
important ways, too painful, too heady, and too political to detail here.
However, I’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t fall on their knees to
see a Mardi Gras Indian dressed and singing with conviction even now in their
street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And yet our oak, twice each year since Katrina, holds parrots, a
whole hierarchy of them, from the top of the tree to the bottom, the macaws to
the finches, a migrating flock of freed animals, perhaps the meaningful
equivalent of a costumed tradition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I realize that <i>Tremé</i> is a TV show; it’s reality-based
fiction, not a documentary. It’s okay with me that the story is skewed. And it
must rouse feelings for everyone here in New Orleans who watches it. Somehow <i>Tremé</i>
makes us look wonderful and like a third world country, both at the same time.
Heck, just three months after Katrina we’re downright beguiling! But then,
maybe we always were.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I remember the first time I laughed after the storm: My friend Geri
described the $200,000 worth of rodent damage to her house as "squirrels
gone wild."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I remember the first time I sang: It was Lundi Gras 2006 (the day before
Fat Tuesday), and the Chee Weez lead thousands of us, strangers from the entire
Gulf Coast, people from Biloxi, Pass Christian, Slidell, almost all living in
FEMA trailers, gathered together at Spanish Plaza and singing <i>a capella</i>
as though we'd practiced it for months,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"Jeremiah
was a bullfrog, Was a good friend of mine..."*</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Treasure New Orleans. Go to Vaughn’s and hear Kermit Ruffins. Eat a
po’ boy. Visit the New Orleans Museum of Art. Dance at
Mulate’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ride an airboat through
the swamp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drink a hurricane. Take
a cemetery tour. Admire the oaks. And if nothing else, walk on a levee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Remember.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17pt;">Wendy</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 17pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*"Joy to
the World" by Hoyt Axton</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Note: Prints from George Rodrigue's painting <u>We Will Rise Again </u>raised $700,000 for local humanitarian relief following Hurricane Katrina. See the original painting, on view through October 4th 2015 at Rodrigue Studio, New Orleans. Full story linked <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/08/we-will-rise-again.html" target="_blank">here</a>-</span></i></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-53473675399603824402015-07-08T08:42:00.000-05:002015-07-09T09:55:26.166-05:00Magic People<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">“I never thought before that I was interesting, but after
talking with you, I realize that I’m fascinating!”</span></span></i><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;"> –Roz Cole<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">In September 2013 I spent several
weeks in a New York City hospital room with George Rodrigue’s longtime
literary agent, Rosalind Cole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weak
from his medication’s side effects, George couldn’t travel, and I remember well
standing at sunrise on the curb of the tiny airport in Monterey, California,
crying as he drove away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">I didn’t want to leave him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">George’s son <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2009/11/andre-and-jacques-rodrigue-brothers.html" target="_blank">André</a> arrived later
that day and remained throughout my absence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roz, on the other hand, was alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intensely private and without any family, she trusted only
us with her secret, telling no one in New York of her illness, a cancer that would take her
life some six months later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George
and I both loved her; and although few others understood our actions, we knew
that I had to go.</span></div>
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(pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rosalind Paige Cole, 1926-2014, with <i><a href="http://www.waldorfnewyork.com/blog/for-the-love-of-dog/" target="_blank">The Dog Who Lives at the Waldorf</a></i>- )</div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">As often happened with Roz, things
were complicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She rejected
modern treatments and medical teams, demanding instead the impossible:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“a cure” and “an old-fashioned doctor.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">The best I could do was listen and
try, albeit with little success, to ease her distress in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually this included distractions,
whether a phone-call from "Georgie," a lengthy <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2013/09/lucky-22.html" target="_blank">game of 22</a>, or a walk down memory
lane.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">(pictured:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roz and Georgie, New York City, 2010; click photo to enlarge-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">Because she insisted on privacy,
Roz panicked if she caught me taking notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet the narrator in me revered her nostalgia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept my notebook open on my knees beneath
her hospital tray and scribbled without seeing the pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a betrayal for which I have no
regrets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">Roz Cole represented dozens of
celebrity authors over the years, including legendary actors Errol Flynn and
Olivia de Havilland, Irish poet and playwright Brendan Behan, and astrologer
Sybil Leek, dubbed “Britain’s most famous witch” by the BBC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">I’ll trickle out the stories and
notes one way or another over time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But today I share with you below, exactly as Roz shared with me, a snippet
recalling perhaps her most famous client and their legendary art world
publication.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; text-indent: 48px;">(pictured: a ‘selfie’ by George Rodrigue, with a photograph of Andy Warhol with his camera by Annie Leibovitz, New Orleans, 2011; click photo to enlarge-)</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">I first met Andy at a dinner party. He was on one side of me, with
Bob Colacello on the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
started talking and I said, “You should do a book called <u>The Philosophy of
Andy Warhol</u>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave him the
title right there.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">He leaned across me and said, “Bob, she wants me to do a book, <u>The
Philosophy of Andy Warhol</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What do you think?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">He said, “Good idea.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">The next day I called Harcourt Brace and told them about the
book and that Bob would write it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The editor said, “I love it, I’ll buy it, we’re ready to do it, we’re
on.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">I called Andy, and he said Great! I called Bob and he said
Great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And from then on Andy
called me “A Magic Person.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">I wasn’t just talk, he said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made things happen.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">That was the beginning; and we did a lot of books together.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">He gave a birthday party for me at <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/21/obituaries/pearl-wong-86-restaurant-owner-in-mid-manhattan.html" target="_blank">Pearl’s</a> (Chinese restaurant
on 48<sup>th</sup>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave me a
beautiful shawl from Halston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy
and I got along really well.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">Patrick O’Higgins* was also Andy’s friend, and he had fifteen cat
drawings (from <a href="http://blog.warhol.org/museum/happy-mothers-day-julia-warhola/" target="_blank">Sam</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when
Patrick died, he left them to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But they weren’t signed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
told Andy and he told me to bring them to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Factory" target="_blank">The Factory</a>, and so I did.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">Andy removed them from the frames and signed them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">“Did you hang them?” I asked.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">No! They’ve been stacked on the floor in my apartment ever
since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the wall I have a Blue
Dog in a King’s robe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s above
my bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love it.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">How the hell are we going to get out of here, Wendy?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">***</span></div>
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">Rest in Peace, Roz.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">Wendy<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;"><i>*Patrick O'Higgins, author of the hugely entertaining <u>Madame: An Intimate Biography of Helena Rubenstein</u> (1971, The Viking Press) was also one of Roz's authors-</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;"><i>-pictured above: </i></span><i style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; text-indent: 0.5in;">Mardi Gras ’96,
an original silkscreen by George Rodrigue; learn more <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/01/mardi-gras-silkscreens-history.html" target="_blank">here</a>-</i></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">-George and I produced ten books with Roz Cole between 1994 and 2012, working with publishers including Viking Penguin, Harry N. Abrams, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Sterling, and Rizzoli; see the collection </span><a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/art/books/" style="font-family: Verdana;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;">-</span></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079877794128349006.post-16755524581974870832015-06-11T09:34:00.000-05:002015-06-11T12:02:57.875-05:00Boundless: Saved by Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Early last year I retreated for three months to a tiny cottage in Seaside, Florida. I was raised on nearby <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/07/okaloosa-island.html" target="_blank">Okaloosa Island</a>, and as I searched for 'home' ....alone... this community provided physical safety and comforting memories, especially during the quiet off-season between Christmas and spring break. </span></div>
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Around 1980 I watched, with <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2010/02/mignons-flowers.html" target="_blank">my mother</a> and sister, this pastel Gulf front town arise from the white sand.</div>
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My temporary residence, a two-room carriage house behind a family's large second home, hinted of my grad school years, when I lived in a similar space behind an historic home in New Orleans' Irish Channel. Yet even as the space seemed right; <i>everything else</i> was wrong ----not the least of which was the art.</div>
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The sand was <i>too</i> white; the water too blue; the sunshine too bright; the grocery store too domestic; the restaurants too romantic; the neighbors too happy. Just two blocks from the too-beautiful beach, I remained exclusively indoors with my situation, my self pity, and my grief.</div>
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<a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/06/musings-of-heather-great-artists-sister.html" target="_blank">My sister</a> helped me. We emptied the walls of their vacation-home kitsch --- paintings of Seaside maps, palm trees, oversize coffee cups, and floral bouquets.</div>
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We replaced them with what became my "traveling art collection" (joined soon after by the "traveling crystal"), the space transformed by <a href="https://georgerodrigue.com/" target="_blank">George Rodrigue</a>, <a href="http://www.huntslonem.com/" target="_blank">Hunt Slonem</a>, and <a href="http://www.mallorypage.com/" target="_blank">Mallory Page</a>.</div>
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Weeks later, as I sat at the top of the stairs without any conceivable reason to descend, I realized that, by coincidence, <i>Today I am Fuchsia</i>, and I snapped a photo ---my first since my world slammed shut, tight. Heretofore trapped within my screaming emotions in a tiny house, I began to open. It was through these canvas worlds, as opposed to the real world, that my boundaries (and my fear) loosened.</div>
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(pictured: February 2014, Somewhere in Seaside, Florida with <i>Today I am Fuchsia</i>, 2013 by <a href="http://www.mallorypage.com/" target="_blank">Mallory Page</a>, Mixed Media on Canvas)</div>
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Soon after, Page, who worked feverishly after having <i>married in a fever</i>, announced <a href="http://www.mallorypage.com/#!book/cjug" target="_blank">a new book of her artwork</a>. "Would you write the Foreword?" she asked.</div>
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I was honored, not only as a longtime fan of Page's work, but also because she became family when she married my stepson, <a href="http://www.wendyrodrigue.com/2011/08/jacques-george-rodrigue.html" target="_blank">Jacques Rodrigue</a>. She writes tenderly and admiringly of George within <i>The Alchemy Never Starts or Never Stops</i>, her award-winning <a href="http://www.mallorypage.com/#!book/cjug" target="_blank">monograph</a>* published this spring:</div>
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"...he was a gentle and nurturing mentor, an artist himself, and was always generous with his pieces of precious wisdom."</div>
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<u>Boundless: The Art of Mallory Page</u></div>
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<i>An essay by Wendy Rodrigue</i></div>
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An effective painting requires mystery. </div>
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Recently, I overheard a group of gallery visitors searching
for meaning within Mallory Page’s paintings.</div>
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“I see a window,” said one.</div>
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“I see a light in the window,” said
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxjsylSF7SPFDvEw9reu5REID6hRaHeCXdUaxcknlUyL_sIHmduEIpSH1Qdo2Sj321emXZG3gdn_fEC_mlC7OXxVR1ZetJVhoyZW5867xy5R_br0V-boZ1_GY41VlOV5CWWqCDwCvN6E/s1600/Melting+in+the+moonlit+sky+2014+87x96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxjsylSF7SPFDvEw9reu5REID6hRaHeCXdUaxcknlUyL_sIHmduEIpSH1Qdo2Sj321emXZG3gdn_fEC_mlC7OXxVR1ZetJVhoyZW5867xy5R_br0V-boZ1_GY41VlOV5CWWqCDwCvN6E/s320/Melting+in+the+moonlit+sky+2014+87x96.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Page’s work, like all profound artistic statements, suffers
this human preoccupation with imagery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In her case, the obvious also complicates matters, as it’s hard to
ignore the beauty of these works, often prompting mundane observations such as,
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“Nice colors.”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore,
she inspires in viewers the need to analyze: </div>
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“Reminds me of Frankenthaler,”
noted an art student.</div>
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“Agnes Martin,” added another.</div>
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The comparisons in particular peak my interest because Page
accedes these influences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet if
we close our eyes and erase the connections to Abstract Expressionism’s
legendary figures, no matter how flattering they are to Page or any artist, we
might open our eyes and look, perhaps even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">see</i>
Page’s paintings anew.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwDqsa9KP4eGdvmVcVn7SWsndWUT8B6pI_POVuBiDHiwiPQjjtmVyWhvzqNkKKBEoXja0838L7CKH7vDe7iWP88eGW08nxTyYXENtM73n0qnHJWZCN2JseRfsEaXVfNRiGZehOj-5IzI/s1600/Venus+at+Rest....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwDqsa9KP4eGdvmVcVn7SWsndWUT8B6pI_POVuBiDHiwiPQjjtmVyWhvzqNkKKBEoXja0838L7CKH7vDe7iWP88eGW08nxTyYXENtM73n0qnHJWZCN2JseRfsEaXVfNRiGZehOj-5IzI/s320/Venus+at+Rest....jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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All abstraction is not alike. By its nature, if sincere, it reveals the artist. If effective, it simultaneously mirrors
the viewer. In other words, the
meaning vacillates, depending as much on the person standing before it as it
does on the person holding the brush.</div>
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The great thing about Page is that all of it --- the search
for imagery, the power of the obvious or literal, and the link to her
predecessors --- is valid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Regrettably, at times this reduces meaning to
meaninglessness, and artistic messages to the esoteric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet surrounded recently at a museum by the
figures, flowers, and still lifes of Matisse, Monet, and Cezanne, I overheard
repeatedly, shouted by headphone-affected voices, “I love the colors!” and
similar nonesuch, proving that it takes less than abstraction to blind us and
more than the recognizable to transport us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeA8EsoBwvLgL3MgISShDMDl1LVJ6BzDNX6uLfVdybw1YspzjJNV_MHT5o0O63VVhhPzCz_AHVi2l8UdoiSoBgZqqLkXiMGHGsbtD3jCKgtYsiNAdh0_M2jmfUCXou8e741E4U8GYkeM/s1600/Mallory+Page+Studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeA8EsoBwvLgL3MgISShDMDl1LVJ6BzDNX6uLfVdybw1YspzjJNV_MHT5o0O63VVhhPzCz_AHVi2l8UdoiSoBgZqqLkXiMGHGsbtD3jCKgtYsiNAdh0_M2jmfUCXou8e741E4U8GYkeM/s320/Mallory+Page+Studio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mallorypage.com/#!work/c1qxa" target="_blank">Mallory Page’s paintings</a>, like all great Abstract
Expressionist works, challenge finite descriptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Page’s case, they are unique expressions of a single soul
revealed, exposed, turned inside out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The imagery, the “light in a window,” is no more real in Page’s
paintings than the rabbit formed for a few seconds by the clouds in the
sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet the vulnerability within
her statements is raw and brave, creating something that, even if it does complement
one’s decor, emotes the depth of her person and, just maybe, poses questions of
the viewer, forcing us to look inward.</div>
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Most of us are slaves to meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recall years ago reading a book, found among a university
library’s stacks, about Mark Rothko’s paintings for the de Menil Collection in
Houston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite Rothko’s
insistence to the contrary, the author argued that the paintings, now installed
at the <a href="http://www.rothkochapel.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=391" target="_blank">Rothko Chapel</a>, are the Stations of the Cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The author went further, breaking down the subtle
brushstrokes and applied paint into the actual imagery of Christ carrying the
cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Even then, new to the academics of art, I wondered at this
forced attachment, all the while pondering myself the meaning of these black paintings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGVJfum4T6qPOV5Zsv9JaOCGPldmujZeqcBM5y60ktZuS9HBA08tBT-KNZ8J7V3JXkEWS9rJuD0AMplSWzSVT1iISTzM2ore0fO3uAqjqebYaJskqQ8V1Fxzig_HLLC-UbuzLfrSkv3U/s1600/Maudeville.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGVJfum4T6qPOV5Zsv9JaOCGPldmujZeqcBM5y60ktZuS9HBA08tBT-KNZ8J7V3JXkEWS9rJuD0AMplSWzSVT1iISTzM2ore0fO3uAqjqebYaJskqQ8V1Fxzig_HLLC-UbuzLfrSkv3U/s320/Maudeville.png" width="243" /></a></div>
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Abstract Expressionism, however, exists as a pure assertion
of the verbally inexpressible, a stripped rendering of color, shape (or lack of
shape), and composition that, upon analysis, remains enigmatic and something
other than those parts.</div>
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Mallory Page is a master of the mysterious and the now,
drawing us into her works, utilizing a language that transcends time, gender,
and place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the colors are
beautiful, and Page is for many decorators a dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet through her unique application, she exposes her soul in
an intimate painterly act that reveals, in these atmospheric works, the
universal.</div>
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If we allow Page’s paintings to exist on their own, further
beyond our objectifications and comparisons, then we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">experience them fully</i>, risking, blissfully, our ability to discuss
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the loss of the verbal
comes the mystical and the boundless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is this heightened awareness that supersedes “nice colors” and sends
us, helplessly, into the quiet, conscious expanse.</div>
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Wendy</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PXvwfQCZVK3JBJXtIh16fhfezXhy5aYDNHFDeOgiCkMrOl3ptA2Ra0L8paGAMEBJGw5Fvw3i8CMBS4ZhrU2DEuKhq0KEEK4bNFPvuonBSA6RU8sr8oRsaoA8VA0ERqWNmETUE-4x6Hg/s1600/Mallory+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PXvwfQCZVK3JBJXtIh16fhfezXhy5aYDNHFDeOgiCkMrOl3ptA2Ra0L8paGAMEBJGw5Fvw3i8CMBS4ZhrU2DEuKhq0KEEK4bNFPvuonBSA6RU8sr8oRsaoA8VA0ERqWNmETUE-4x6Hg/s320/Mallory+books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>*Mallory Page's monograph, <u>The Alchemy Never Starts or Never Stops</u> received a <a href="http://www.newyorkbookfestival.com/" target="_blank">Runner's Up Award</a> for Best Art Book at the 2015 New York Book Festival; learn more about this beautiful publication <a href="http://www.mallorypage.com/#!book/cjug" target="_blank">here</a>-</i></div>
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<i>-Visit <a href="http://mallorypage.com/">mallorypage.com</a> to learn of exhibitions, book signings and available paintings-</i></div>
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<i>-All artwork in this post by Mallory Page, as listed below, mixed media on canvas:</i></div>
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<i> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>The Alchemy Never Starts or Never Stops</u></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, from "Broken Snow Globe," 2013, 72x96 inches</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> <u>Melting with the Moonlit Sky</u>, 2014, 87x96 inches</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> <u>Venus at Rest Somewhere Beyond Understanding</u>, from "Married in a Fever," 2014, 60x84 inches</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> <u>Truth or Consequences</u>, from "Forces of Change and Challenge," 2014, 87x96 inches</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> <u>Maudeville</u>, 2015, a series of works on paper, 22.5x30 inches</i></span></div>
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Wendy Rodrigue Magnushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08289447655110009690noreply@blogger.com