Martha Holcombe Root is a southern folk artist. After pledging money for her church, she created soft-sculpture doll patterns to make good on her pledge. After selling her original patterns through the mail, the orders started to dwindle, so she needed to find other ways to raise money for her church.
In 1985, she started to sculpt African American figures calling them All God’s Children, the name chosen from 1 John 3:1. Made from a blend of crushed pecans and resin, each figure had its own story and personality, with the inspiration coming from memories of her grandmother’s farm. The goal of these figures is to send a message that goes beyond time, race or age, conveying you are loved and you are a child of God.
all god’s children figure
