Having been immersed in some sort of creative effort since childhood. Dalleen received formal art training beginning in 1981 when she left her childhood home in West Virginia for art school. She graduated from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1982, and later earned a BA in Organizational Management. As a commercial artist, she did everything from designing greeting cards for American Greetings, painting murals at an Amusement park, and leading creative staff at a Global Healthcare Company.

In 2012, after 30 years of working in Visual Communications, Dalleen retired and began a phase of self-discovery in the mountains of North Carolina. No matter the state, Dalleen believes the mountains feel like old friends, inspiring creativity with their peaks and valleys. This is where she found the magical properties of clay.