In October 2002, cover artist George Rodrigue spent seven hours anxiously riding out a hurricane in his Louisiana home. Filled with fear, he witnessed firsthand the awesome power of hurricane force winds that brought a 100-year-old oak tree to the ground in his front yard. The storm was the catalyst for his “Hurricane Series,” which features paintings in vibrant, swirling colors of yellow, orange, blue and red that bear titles such as “Betsy,” “Camille,” and “Inez.” Noticeably absent from that series was the pop-culture icon for which Rodrigue has become so famous: the Blue Dog. But, never fear. The winds of Hurricane Katrina have brought him back.

The Blue Dog, created by the artist in 1984 as an impression of a mythical Cajun werewolf known as the “Loup-Garou,” sits front and center in Rodrigue’s latest painting, “We Will Rise Again.” The powerful image of the famous pooch was created to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims through donations to the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the Red Cross. Prints of the painting are being sold for $500, and Rodrigue will sign all prints purchased in the calendar year following the storm.

The effort is not the first of its kind for the artist. Following the 9/11 terror attacks, Rodrigue created a special print that raised over a half million dollars in internet orders in two weeks. Proceeds from the Katrina relief effort are poised to surmount even that number. Rodrigue’s collectors and fans showed interest in purchasing a similar piece of artwork immediately after the storm passed through; more than 700 prints were sold within the first three days of the poster’s release.

“Just after the storm passed through New Orleans, people started e-mailing me, wondering if I was going to paint something,” says Rodrigue. “The hardest thing was that it hit so close to home. I didn’t know where to start. My immediate thought was for the safety of the people I know, followed by the shock of seeing helicopters and boats alongside familiar street signs as rescuers assisted people from rooftops and attics. I sat at my easel weighted by personal sorrow and my desire to help.”

After a week and a half of watching the harrowing news accounts of the devastation in his beloved city, he found inspiration. “I decided to use Blue Dog, because he truly represents New Orleans. Blue Dog was born on Royal Street,” he says, referring to the French Quarter street that is also home to Rodrigue’s New Orleans gallery and studio.

“‘We Will Rise Again’ shows the American flag covered with water. The Blue Dog is partly submerged, and its eyes, normally yellow, are red with a broken heart. Like a ship’s SOS, the red cross on the dog’s chest calls out for help,” Rodrigue explains. He felt it was important to not convey a gloomy image, pointing out that Blue Dog’s head rises above the water line and that the blue color chosen from the palette is a clear blue. “That’s where we want to be—in the clear,” he says.

Rodrigue’s other main concern has been to keep his employees in the clear following the storm. In late September, he transferred his entire New Orleans gallery collection to a warehouse in Lafayette. All ten of his New Orleans employees have relocated there as well, some living with the artist’s mother in nearby New Iberia. Lafayette will serve as the base for Rodrigue’s operations for the time being, as many of the employees lost their homes and every possession in the disaster.

“We all intend to go back, even though we don’t know when,” he says. “All these other problems, we can’t handle because they are beyond our control and will be for a long time. Tears and rising water have threatened to drown us. But don’t be deceived,” he stresses. “The land may be under water, but the spirit of New Orleans and the culture of Louisiana hold their heads high.”

To purchase a signed print of “We Will Rise Again,” go to www.georgerodrigue.com.