In a corner of a conference room in the historic Dorsey Hall manor house, Richard Talkin flipped a light switch on and off, then opened and closed wooden window blinds.
His gaze was fixed on two oil paintings that collectively depict a leafless black tree against an expansive cloud-studded winter sky. The diptych is mounted on adjoining walls in the home's former dining room.
First somber gray, then awash with a red-violet hue, and finally flooded with a cool-blue cast, the bold landscapes proved chameleon-like as Talkin altered the lighting.
"It's wonderful how these paintings take on different shades throughout the day," Talkin said of the artwork by Columbia artist Heidi Praff. "I really like that aspect a lot."
Talkin, a land-use attorney, is known in the county as counsel to developers in such high-profile projects as WCI's plan to erect a 23-story mixed-use condominium complex in Town Center and Wegmans' bid to build a grocery store on Snowden River Parkway. He has had offices in the county since 1968.
But he isn't as well known as one of the local art community's most ardent supporters.
"Dick was part of the original crew that set about inventing Columbia," said Peter Horowitz, a client, friend, and fellow art advocate.
"There's a lot of creativity in his approach to lawyering, and I believe that he is tremendously creative as a collector, too," said Horowitz, the namesake, along with his wife, Elizabeth, of the Horowitz Center for Visual and Performing Arts at Howard Community College.
Talkin's office in the former living room of the 18th-century home on Dorsey Hall Drive in Ellicott City and the conference room across the main hall are adorned with 30 paintings by 16 local artists. Talkin estimated that he owns another 30, which are hanging in his home and his New York apartment.
Talkin and partner Sang Oh bought the Dorsey family's original home for their law practice in 2002 after its run as that year's Howard County Decorator Show House. The generous dimensions of the rooms, plentiful windows and extravagant wall treatments lend themselves well to showcasing the art collection.
Colleagues and clients alike commonly request an impromptu tour of Dorsey Hall. Talkin is happy to oblige, stepping away from his desk at the 40-year-old practice to act as an informed and enthusiastic docent.
"I don't consider the paintings' sizes and I don't try to decorate with them or buy them for a particular place in a room," Talkin said. "I buy them just because I like them."
