Painter with a Passion

"I remember the wonderful scent of paper in kindergarten," Loretta Puncer said.

Thus began her journey as an artist.

"My initial interest also came from my dad, who was photographer," she said. "But painting is the one thing I kept doing even though I tried all these other forms."

Today, Puncer is pursuing her painting full-time in her artistic abode, Gallery 510 Fine Art , which also serves as a working studio.

"It's a very comfortable space to work in," Loretta said. "I love the light and the fact that people come in and can watch me work."

"The gallery really is a dream come true," she added. "It's really amazing how things have fallen into place. Opportunities have been presented and I haven't hesitated."

When offered the chance to open a gallery in winter 2008, "I thought about it for five minutes and figured I have nothing to lose," Loretta said. Then again, Loretta's perspective on life has changed of late. A few years ago, her discovery that she had a serious illness caused her to reevaluate what's important in life.

"I asked myself what I would choose to do if I had a limited time left," she said. "So I've been taking risks I wouldn't normally take."

Loretta primarily works in realistic still-lifes and landscapes, many of them on commission for clients of her sister Rosemary Baumann, an interior designer who lives in Cincinnati and partner in Gallery 510 Fine Art.

"Still life is my first love," Loretta said. "I just love putting together a grouping of things that have significance to a person or family. It can take longer to put a still life together than to do the painting."

Loretta's still lifes and other work, such as abstract paintings and photography, fill her gallery's walls. Yet she also has created opportunities for other artists. Loretta presents monthly rotating exhibits by artists who work in mediums as diverse as quilting, watercolor and even handmade soap. She hosts workshops in her gallery and is the brainchild of "Paint Around the District," an art-making event that offers inspiration and fellowship.

"I love the sense of neighborhood I feel here and being part of a community of people," she said.