HOT HOUSE music series - Maria Domínguez

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Sweet Blues . acrylic on paper . 14" X 18" . 2007

"Conga Beat" . acrylic on canvas . 4.5" x 3" . 2007

HOT HOUSE music series (see collages)
Maria Dominguez
2007-09

My passion for Jazz and Latin Jazz led to The Hot House music series. Influences for it derived from several areas; one being my musician husband who is either practicing around me or performing in gigs as well as encouraging me to listen to new names and styles out in the market. Another is the local Jazz radio who unfolds and folds my day with the music. While listening earlier this year and upon completing the smaller pieces to the sounds of trumpeter Wynton Marsalis on the radio the jock mentioned the name of the CD — the Hot House Flowers it offered me the perfect name for the work.

The deep contrasting colors are gathered from my photos of live performances. Musicians are immersed by travelling color spotlights and are transformed almost into caricatures — diffusing their faces and hi-lighting others making them seem as if they are either in pain or pleasure to reach that particular note. There I witness the intensity the musicians apply to their instruments to bring us the pleasure of hearing it.

"Piano Blues" . acrylic on paper . 18" x 14" . 2007

"Jumpin' Hot " . acrylic on paper . 26" x 33" . 2007

"Singer Sax" . acrylic on canvas . 18" x 24" . 2007

"Singer Sax"(detail) . acrylic on canvas . 18" x 24" . 2007

"Trombone" . acrylic on canvas . 18" x 24" . 2007

"Trombone"(detail) . acrylic on canvas . 18" x 24" . 2007

"Willie's Inspiration" . acrylic on canvas . 36" x 48" . 2008

"Blues in Red" . acrylic on canvas . 72" x 60" . 2007

"Sassy Diva" . acrylic on canvas . 36" x 48" . 2008

"In Sync" . acrylic on canvas . 36" x 48" . 2009

"Sultry Melody" . acrylic on canvas . 18" x 24" . 2009

"Chords in Harmony" . acrylic on canvas . 18" x 24" . 2009

"One Note Rhythm" . acrylic on canvas . 18" x 24" . 2009

"Body of Soul" . acrylic on canvas . 18" x 24" . 2009

"Trumpet Man" . acrylic on canvas . 36" x 48" . 2009

"Trombone Melody" . collage . 15" x 11" . 2008

HOT HOUSE Collages
Music series - 2008

(Giclee prints of these collages are available for sale. If interested please contact artist for additional information)

The Hot House collage collection created in 2008 was inspired by my original Hot House paintings. Unlike those where the emphasis was to recreate figurative images of musicians “jamming” under changing stage lights– the collages were composed of abstracted asymmetrical shapes of the musicians. The plan to incorporate contrasting color was also a detail used and it produced a quieter and subtle effect. The slower process however was liberating since it was guided by the textures and brush strokes done on the paper beforehand. The work proved to be pivotal to my direct painting on paper and/or canvas – since with this approach I used painted paper as the vehicle. The smaller composition area also allowed me less time and freedom to enjoy the completed piece. They served as sketches to painting again.