"Woolly Afro II" by Unicia Buster

This is an update on a quilt in progress for a client's new home. It is modeled after "Woolly Afro" which is now owned by the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. 

What I've done so far:

1. I've photographed my model and selected the best posed position.
2. I've selected other images from the internet to best fit the model shot and made a collage.
3. I created a pattern from the collage image.
4. Purchased fabric.
5. I cut the pattern out of the fabric.
6. I pieced it together on a back piece of fabric (the two greens). 
7. I've started baste stitching into place by hand. 

What I have left to do:

1. Machine satin/button hole stitch. 
2. Add details by hand to the faces of the lady, the sheep and lambs. 
3. Cutting and add all the little different color circles for the hair. (This part is the most tedious but fun - can't wait). 
4. Border the quilt top - haven't decided on those colors yet.
5. Make the quilt sandwich by stitching it together with the batting and back piece using a nice stitch pattern.
6. Bind the quilt edges.

I'm estimating I should be finished by October, but hopefully sooner. I really want to get this to her but I don't want to rush it either. I want this to be my best to date with improvements made in my applique and binding techniques.

I love this color scheme. Wish I had it for my bedroom. Lots of earth tones and purple with accents of pink and blue and thrown sporadically in the hair will be some soft oranges and yellows.

Everything's all cut out with a quarter inch. I love the two lambs.

Basting, what fun. I used fabric glue in the past and it got pretty stiff (and messy).  So, I'm trying it this way by hand to reduce a lot of shifting. The lady's face is drawn in as well.

Another view point.

I've been sick a lot lately, so I haven't worked on it as much as I wanted to. Hopefully, though that will change. Enjoy. Feedback is always appreciated.

"Field of Afros" by Unicia Buster

This is a quilt I started a few years ago (I don't know exactly when). I wanted to finish it to replace the quilt that's hanging in the library, but never did. Now, I'm finishing it to hang in the hospital temporarily for an employee art show. I have to finish it by this weekend, so hopefully, it will get done. Here are some pics of the process:

Would love some feedback...

Acrylic Painting by Unicia Buster

 I haven't painted in a long time. Now, I want to make a serious go at it. This is someone from my workplace, Tayvon Murray Wilkerson. I painted it from the photograph I took below of him. I want his image to be a part of my "Affairs of the Heart" series which will be a series about the game of love. I have an idea of how I want to portray him but the idea didn't come to me until I actually began painting him. Funny thing is, he's not going to end up being a painting at all but a quilt in the series, much like the one I did of Ajani Sekou (aka Todd) but more of an idea of the "game" versus just a portrait. We shall see. More on that later.

I know I have a lot to learn as far as painting technique and skills, but I think this is a good starting point. It seems I learned something in my two painting classes in college. I will post attempt number two when I finish it.

"Ajani" by Unicia Buster

Finally, a new piece I'm working on called (for now) "Ajani." I have a long ways to go but so far the squares (more like rectangles) for the outer border are done. The pieces for the portrait are all cut out and ready to be appliqued. After which, I will have to add details using stitching and fabric paint. Then I will be using green seed beads for the eyes and wrapped cording for the hair, which I'm not sure how will do and what color I will use. I can't wait to see the finished result! I may do an inner border of a dark purple and edge off with a light purple. This guy is a talented poet, musician, artist and hair stylist. In the quilt, I feature some photographs of him as a performer.A detail of one of the squares below:

The original photograph, which I took, that I am using as the imagery for the center panel.

Drawings of Todd Hobson by Unicia Buster

These are three drawings I did recently using graphite (forgive the camera phone shot). They are of the same person, Ajani Sekou, a musician and natural hair stylist originally from Richmond, Virginia, now residing in Atlanta, Georgia. I surprised myself by drawing these because I did them in the span of two days. Not a big deal to most, but, for me, I stopped drawing over a decade ago. I was truly inspired after hanging out with this individual and, hopefully, the feeling will continue and I will create more things once again.

Facepainting and Two Small Wall Hangings

I made up a friend's face, Shanaye, for Halloween. A co-worker took this picture. I did hers better than I did my own face.

"Freedom with Constraints" and "Windy" by Unicia Buster

I haven't posted in a while. But I haven't done much art in a while either. But there a few things. I am currently exhibiting some of my wall hangings and photographs at Elegba Folklore Society on the corner of 1st and Broad streets in downtown Richmond. The show will be up until January 31st. Here are two new wall hangings I did for the show.

I - the woman who couldn't run a mile - AM GOING TO RUN 26 OF THEM.

Check out my page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/va/richmar12/ubuster
Thank you so much for your support.