In preparation for her “Hands” series, she attended several HSO rehearsals to observe up close the dexterity of the musicians’ fingers. “Focusing solely on the hands brings attention to personal preferences; how they hold their instrument, the callus they have on a finger, how they hold their pinky on that one note,” the painter writes about the experience. If the orchestra is the result of many hands working independently to create a whole, her finely rendered oil paintings offer an intimate look at the individuals who make up that whole. She has exhibited in juried and group shows including Artspace in Hartford, the Mattatuck Museum and the New Britain Museum. Paolucci earned a BFA in illustration (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Hartford, Hartford Art School, and is an adjunct professor there while working on her MFA .