Settling in

With “how are you” emails trickling in and this morning’s news about my successor at the Houston Chronicle — I’m telling you, the job brings it out of you — I guess now’s as good a time as any to emerge from relative seclusion and say that things are going well — better than I’d hoped, in fact. I’ve been gradually reaching out around town and finding I have many allies and supporters in the art community, although I remain a walking Rorschach test at openings, with some people acting as though they’ve seen Lazarus, others treating me like a conquering hero and still others talking to me as if I’ve suffered a stroke. On the whole, though, they seem happy associate with me and many have thanked me for the dialogue my wedding to Reese Darby helped provoke. (Speaking of which, we’re tentatively scheduled to divorce in early May.)

I’m picking up writing gigs and experimenting with some new directions in the painting, including considering different ways to incorporate text into the work. And I’m pursuing writing and exhibition opportunities that, for now, it’s better not to blog about. And I’m open to hearing about others.

As for the blog, I’m still deciding what, if anything, to do with it post-road trip. Resuming the old Devon’s diary doesn’t necessarily appeal, and as for art writing, we’ll see. I have to say I haven’t minded the hiatus, though I still instinctively think of angles and leads while visiting exhibitions. I’ll update again when I have a better sense of what the next steps are.