Name: Darling Divas and Friends, Epatha and Zara
Made by and When: Trish Williams; 2021 and 2023, respectively
Material: Kona cotton, yarn, other textiles, paint
Marks: (On the backs) Signed and dated by the artist
Height: 28 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Alpaca or acrylic wool-blend yarn hair, painted facial features
Epatha
Epatha (ee-pay-tha), which means beauty, is a 28-inch soft sculpture created in Kona cotton with hair of alpaca yarn. Dressed in a woven cape wrap, denim wrap jacket, wrap skirt of suede cloth, she has a bronze faux crocodile shoulder bag and brown knee-high boots. According to the artist, “Epatha loves texture!”
Zara
Zara, which originates in the Arabic language, means “radiant.” This soft sculpture doll made of Kona cotton and dressed in satin and a Mud-cloth print has a matching shoulder bag, boots, and belt. The fur stole/collar is from the Pam Tabor collection and her hair is made of acrylic/wool blend. Accessories include a gold-tone necklace and turquoise and gold earrings.
Other: Trish Williams, a fiber artist and quilter, refers to her soft sculptured dolls as Darling Divas and Friends. They are another way for her to express herself and stem from years of fashion design and dressmaking. She calls them soft sculptures because they are created solely for collecting.
Gallery (Photos and descriptions courtesy of the artist, Trish Williams)
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