Paula Wallace is a true farmer's daughter and has been making art since her first encounter with crayons. She began her studies at Iowa State University and graduated from the University of Iowa. She has also taken additional training in special finishes in Ireland, and multiple disciplines, especially printmaking, in Chicago, and has studied stained glass. In addition to her fine art, she has worked as an illustrator and muralist, and has designed neon and done custom painting and special finishes.

Much of her work is drawn from literature, theatre, music, and the spiritual. While most of her work is figurative with an emphasis on the human face, the range of styles and interpretations may be representational to whimsical.

Among the artist's professional affiliations, she is a member of Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA), the Episcopal Church in the Visual Arts (ECVA), and Imago Dei. She has been a curator for several exhibits in a variety of settings; created and received funding for a summer arts program for the homeless while in Chicago; and has collaborated with professionals in other arts arenas, including music and theatre, to produce work and develop programming.

Paula has exhibited in the United States, and her work is held in private collections here and abroad. Currently she maintains a studio at the Hot Shops Arts Center in Omaha, Nebraska.