Though Talkin did some painting in the 1970s, he began collecting four years ago. His first acquisition was a painting by Joan Bevelaqua that he had seen at an exhibit at the county school board headquarters. Since then, Talkin has purchased eight other works by Bevelaqua, a Columbia artist who teaches at the University of Maryland University College.
He said he especially likes Bevelaqua's series of dresses, which appear either on hangers or dressmaker's forms.
"You can see in your mind's eye who might be wearing each dress based on its style," he said. "Looking at the dresses is a lot like listening to an old radio program - you have to use your imagination."
Bevelaqua said it is crucial that an admirer develops an interpretation of a work of art.
"Richard has told me it's not that important to him to know the reasons why I painted something," she said. "And I think he's right - it's more important what he sees in the painting."
Talkin's initial purchase in 2004 sparked a desire to investigate what county artists had to offer. What he has since discovered, he said, is that the work of artists here "stands up well" against paintings in the renowned galleries of the Chelsea art district in Manhattan.
"I spent a recent weekend looking at a lot of contemporary art without making a purchase," he said. "When I came back to Howard County, I found something better than I'd seen there."
A cityscape by Linda Press, a Columbia resident who spends time in New York and Paris, captured Talkin's attention after he saw it on exhibit at HCC. He owns several of Press' pieces, including a bird's-eye view of a New York streetscape displayed on a wall near his desk.
"The energy, culture and architecture are the parts of cities that we both love," said Press, who has done 10 to 15 paintings of various locales in her most recent series. "He has a discerning eye and intuitively understands what I'm expressing."
Talkin knows instantaneously whether a particular piece of art compels him.
"It's a gut reaction for me," he said. "But I let it dwell in my mind for a period of time to see if I keep thinking about it, and that's how I decide what to buy."
Mary Jo Tydlacka is a Woodstock resident whose work Talkin has purchased. As a former English teacher, she incorporates a love of Shakespeare and performing arts into many of her pieces.
Talkin owns her painting of a blues concert that was part of the Columbia Festival of the Arts a couple of years back, as well as another one of a production of Romeo and Juliet on the grounds of Patapsco Female Institute in Ellicott City.
"Dick's support of the arts has been a spark plug for us in the visual arts community - duly noted and appreciated," said Tydlacka.
Talkin stresses that county residency is far from the main selling point of any painter.
"These artists are very creative and very talented," he said. "The fun lies in finding nice pieces that happen to be produced locally."
neighbors
Is there a noteworthy person or event in your neighborhood? Contact Neighbors columnist Janene Holzberg at jholzberg76@msn.com or 410-461-4150.
