Virginia Leitner bursts through the door of the gallery at the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre, talking rapidly about the 40 or so paintings that line two walls, all of them hers.

"What do you think of this abstract one?" She beams with pride at her work.

Leitner is as excited as many artists getting their first gallery showing. Only difference is, she's 97 years old.

In grade school she loved to draw and paint. "I may have been shy, but I showed an aptitude for art," says Leitner. She continued to dabble in art for the next 90 years, but never considered it a career — until now.

In 1937, Leitner married John Burton Davis, a gunsmith and pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps. She painted china plates but never made a penny with her works. She gave the china plates away to family and friends and kept some for herself.

In the early 40s, she began making ceramics and 10 years later starting playing the piano and sketching prints. She turned sketches into watercolor and oil paintings. But once again, Leitner kept her creations mostly to herself.

In 1968, Davis died and Leitner joined the workforce. "I had to eat," she recalls. She became a floral designer at Ladue Florist and stayed with the company for 20 years. In 1989, she met her second husband, Frank Leo Leitner, and retired.

It wasn't until 2007, at the age of 93, that Leitner took her painting skills to the next level. She began working with Jerry Thomas of Creve Coeur, a well-known artist and teacher. She had known him through a family member when he came to her retirement home to teach painting classes on Fridays.

"I was hooked, and I took four more years of lessons," says Leitner.

Thomas encouraged Leitner and gave her guidance in color theory and the technical aspects of painting during classes he taught at the Oak Tree Village Retirement Community in St. Peters. Later, Leitner signed up for classes at the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre under Thomas' direction. "I teach three-hour art classes and can remember Leitner standing the entire time," he said. "I was amazed how long she stood for her age."

Leitner says she is "inspired by God's creations." Her paintings showcase flowers, trees, pets, abstracts and even a basic bowl of fruit, which happens to be one of her favorites. She has a few of her originals framed and hanging on her living room walls.

"This year her fellow artists, her teacher Jerry Thomas and I told her it was time to have her first showing," says Cindy DuBois, cultural arts leader at the Cultural Arts Centre.

On Feb. 2, she received what she calls her best birthday gift ever from her husband. He rented gallery space at the Cultural Arts Centre, had her paintings hung and invited friends and family for a showing. "I had about 75 people show up for the opening reception," says Leitner, who is still waiting for that first sale.

"She's an inspiration to anyone, especially for those who say 'I can't do that,'" DuBois adds. She is the oldest featured artist we have ever had."

Leitner says she's determined to keep going well past 97, and that's part of her reason for painting. "If you do anything that you are interested in, that helps keep you learning," and that keeps you young. "I ate a lot of vegetables growing up, and I attribute that to my good health, too" she adds.

She also continues to paint, she says with a chuckle, because "I want to help supplement our income."

VIRGINIA LEITNER PAINTINGS

Where • St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre (located inside the St. Peters City Hall building), 1 St. Peters Centre Boulevard in St. Peters.

When • 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (closed Sunday), through April 2

How much • From $75 to $225

More info • 636-397-6903 or email vrleitner@yahoo.com