America has opened my eyes to art and the art world in so many ways. When I read New York’s major newspaper with its almost daily features on photographers, artists, singers, songwriters, fashion designers, and sculptors, it is abundantly clear that the United States cares about its creative artists. I never experienced this while living in London.
Here with numerous art schools in and around Boca Raton, Fla., just being in a class to improve one’s ability to create or to rub shoulders with talented people is stimulating. I know this personally, as my wife just cannot wait until Thursdays to get to her art class, meet with friends, and develop new techniques.
Multiply this just for Florida and here you have thousands of young and retired artists who want to sell their work to raise funds for charity or just give a piece of art to a friend.
I had the pleasure of meeting Helmut Koller quite by accident. Now in Palm Beach, Fla., Mr. Koller’s talent is inspirational. He exhibits his work around the world, and his books, photography, and paintings are endless and magical.
I met Helmut at his studio when I arrived to interview his wife, Helga Wagner, an acclaimed jewelry designer.
For many years, Koller photographed opera’s superstars and others just as well-known—Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Leonard Bernstein, and Rudolf Nureyev.
Within that period, Helmut Koller cowrote, photographed, and designed his first book, “Women Over 30.” Two more books followed—“Elektra,” covering the film adaptation of the Richard Strauss opera, and “Opera Live.”
Feeling confined in Europe and eager to pursue his ambitions in America, Koller moved to Manhattan then Palm Beach, where he and his wife now reside.
With his first collection of paintings in 1987, "Homage to Egon Schiele," Koller made the transition from photography to painting. He then turned his interest to historic portraits of the Native Americans. Figurative paintings in acrylic on canvas followed. Since the beginning of 1997, Koller has been working on a series of colorful animal paintings.
In the summer of 1998, Suppan Fine Arts in Vienna showed these new paintings for the very first time. Then the Galleria di Sorrento at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas premiered these super realistic pop paintings in the United States in the summer of 1999.
Galerie Pierre M. Dumonteil of Paris and Shanghai represents Koller’s animal paintings exclusively worldwide and exhibits them at major international art expos.
Harold Leighton and his wife live in Florida where he delights in rubbing shoulders with creative artists in many fields.
