Paula McCarty began her studies in painting at Parkland College before earning a BFA in Painting and Drawing from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1999. She later relocated to California, where she completed her MFA at California State University, Long Beach.

​McCarty has taught in the Art Department at Parkland College and has led painting courses through the college’s non-credit program since 2012. She has served as exhibition designer at Springer Cultural Center since 2017. Her work has been exhibited regionally and nationally, and she maintains an active studio practice in Champaign, Illinois..