Enaj Project Detail
Take a look into Janet Higgins’ sculpture studio and learn more about her artistic process through the creation of “Enaj.”
Enaj 1
I began the dancer, “Enaj,” by drawing her on my studio floor. Then I bent and welded four sides of each leg to establish an armature.
Enaj 2
Next, I randomly cut many pieces with a plasma cutter. These will be attached to the armature so she begins to take shape.
Enaj 3
The thigh and lower leg begin to develop as I try to weld pieces on so that the armature doesn’t show.
Enaj 4
I cut the toes from solid round stock. Then I can add welded wire and grind them down to get the right shape.
Enaj 5
The toes are getting there.
Enaj 6
And now the toes are attached.
Enaj 7
Here Enaj is up in her stand, which makes it much easier to see and work with.
Enaj 8
Her head is coming along in this shot. If you look closely, you can see that I just used washers for her irises. Sneaky.
Enaj 9
Now I can get her upper body going. She will have a “door” in her back so I can place a solar light there later.
Enaj 10
I created Enaj’s fingers by bending 18 gauge steel to form the upper and lower part of each finger. Lots of welding and hole repair went into these.
Enaj 11
Enaj’s head on a winter day in the studio.
Enaj 12
Now she has lots of hair!
Enaj 13
Here, Enaj is all put together. This picture was taken at the welding shop at Rogue Community College in Grants Pass.
Enaj 14
And finally, Enaj is powder-coated and installed. One of the cool features of this sculpture is that she can be turned in her stand in order to enjoy her from different angles.