Louisiana artist and creator of the Blue Dog series, George Rodrigue, passed away late last year. I do pet portraits in some form with my second graders every year, and upon learning the sad news, I knew we would pay tribute with Blue Dog inspired pieces this year. Mr. Rodrigue's dog Tiffany was the inspiration, and she was first painted blue to symbolize the sad event of her passing and the reflection of the moon in the Bayou country. George Rodrigue's dog paintings helped him donate money to many charities in his home state, including families affected by Hurricane Katrina.
However, Blue Dog wasn't always blue - if the artist fell in the swap, he painted her moss green, and a cherry red dog would appear if he baked a pie. So, self-expression through color is important here, and students will also write a description of their color choices and experiences to go with their finished water and pastel doggies.
Positive and negative shape is also very easy to spot in his work, as seen here:
This guy really has an expression! I can't wait to see what this student writes next week.
Find powerpoints, printables, and much more info at http://www.georgerodriguefoundation.org/site372.php
George Rodrigue would be very pleased
ReplyDeleteI am so sad to hear the news of his death. I have been doing a blue dog project with third grade for five years now and it is always a favorite. He was our only living artist we talked about in third grade. Thank you for sharing his wonderful art!
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