Paula Lloyd is every art professors dream student. Like a high speed race car going from 0 to 90 in five seconds, after Lloyd took a few painting classes beginning in 2003, she was up and running at full throttle in the art world. Within those five (figurative) seconds, Lloyd's work had been included in nine exhibitions, including a juried show in Annapolis, Maryland.

"I entered three pieces into the Maryland Federation of Arts "American Landscapes". They accepted my painting "Road 17" (one of the 48 pieces chosen out of 600 submissions) and asked if I would mind if they used it on their catalog cover and postcard," she laughed. "My husband Dave and I went back for the opening reception in Annapolis. We met the juror, Ross Merrill, who is the director of art conservation at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.