Born in California, Paula Delfosse moved with her family to Maryland when she was five, and did not return to her home state until the age of twenty-one.  Raised in a family which valued the practical above all else, her innate love of drawing and painting was discouraged, only to be reawakened after taking the course, Drawing for Non-Art Majors, as a humanities requirement during her studies as a biology major at Towson State University in Maryland.  Subsequently, Delfosse focused on art studies at Pasadena City College for a year to develop a portfolio prior to being accepted to the prestigious Art Center College of Design, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Art in Illustration.  However, after receiving repeated feedback from potential commercial clients that her technique was too "painterly", she opted for a career in fine arts where her artistic method and perceptions are better suited.

Paula has since worked in diverse arenas, painting backdrops for photography, designing scenery and creating artwork for local theatre, and producing decorative murals for private residences. Studies with Peter Adams, Junn Roca and Tim Solliday refined and developed her plein air and fine art techniques.