BLUE DOG RELIEF MIXED MEDIA COLLAGES

First grade students were amazed by George Rodrigue and his Blue Dog paintings. George Rodrigue is a Cajun painter who was born in Louisiana in 1944. It was the Cajun myth of the loup-garou that inspired his most famous series of paintings, the Blue Dog. This myth, about a werewolf like creature, was familiar to the artist. When he was a boy his mother would say, “If you don’t clean your room, the loup-garou will get you.” After reading the book “Why is Blue Dog Blue?” by George Rodrigue, the first graders made their own Blue dogs using oil pastels. They learned how the fur of Blue dog is monochromatic, one color and its values. Not only were they impressed by his art, but they were thrilled to hear about his charity, Blue Dog Relief.  After an open discussion about Hurricane Katrina and what this disaster meant to the people of New Orleans, the first graders rebuilt the city of New Orleans for their Blue Dog to live in using photocopies of buildings and oil pastels. They had a great time making these wonderful creations while learning how artists, like themselves and George Rodigue, can make a difference in the world!