I wholly subscribe to the idea of making your work out of what you know. My work springs from my surroundings. Even when making abstract works, I have drawn my inspiration from a close examination of what is close at hand. Universal questions can be approached if rooted in the specific.There has to be something real to abstract from, and that something is close at hand. I am interested in place. I am interested in what happened or is going to happen in that place, whether it is yesterday or in the distant past. I am interested in what has been forgotten. I am interested in the sublime. 

I am interested in what is just under the surface of our present reality.

Grade Level: K–2

Project Title: Spin and Scatter

Objective: Observe natural forms and translate movement into art.

Activity: Students observe images or real examples of maple “helicopter” seeds. Using paper, wire, or lightweight materials, they create their own spiraling forms. Discuss how artists abstract from real objects and introduce the idea of the sublime in simple terms—moments when something small in nature feels surprising or amazing. Encourage students to describe how their sculpture might move in the wind.

Helicopter Seeds presents a vertical arrangement of elongated, leaf-like forms inspired by the spiraling motion of winged seed pods. Curved steel elements extend outward from a central axis, suggesting rotation, lift, and organic growth. The sculpture translates botanical movement into abstract structure, balancing natural reference with industrial material. Its copper-toned surface and rhythmic composition create a sense of upward energy, inviting viewers to consider cycles of dispersal, regeneration, and the relationship between natural processes and constructed form.

Ferriby describes his work as grounded in close observation: “There has to be something real to abstract from.” He expresses interest in the sublime—moments of awe or emotional intensity that exceed ordinary experience—encouraging viewers to reflect on place, memory, and the unseen forces just beneath the surface of everyday reality.