Ellsworth Kelly was a big favorite of my dad’s (a sculptor), and I've always been drawn to the elegant way his forms inhabit space. Picasso is a favorite of my stepdad's (also a sculptor). This old book from the 1950s, Picasso by Boeck & Sabartes, was bought in Paris by his mother and has reproductions that are really fantastic. Here's a pic from it — too good not to share.

In college, in the late 80s, I had a number of female art professors who introduced me to women artists, and women who were writing about women artists — Lucy Lippard, for example. One of these teachers made large sandcast bronze sculptures, and was a great model for me as a young art student.

Right now, I love the work of the female artist, Toyin Ojih Odutola, whose work is on the cover of the magazine, Juxtapoz (see below), and Douglas Florian, an amazing artist who writes children's books.

Then there's the other stack because I'm not a person who is just looking at books by, or about, artists. I’m including The Abundance by Annie Dillard, an artist with words, who frames the natural world so beautifully. The Inward Garden by Julie Moir Messervy is about aesthetically experiencing the landscape — very important to me. Another book, which may be a little unusual, is The Hundred Languages of Children (I Cento Linguaggi Dei Bambini). I was an art teacher for a number of years and the process of art making has always been important. This Reggio Emilia approach from northern Italy resonates with me and my process.

Painter Jennifer Christy's has an upcoming show opening on July 29th at the Field Gallery in West Tisbury.