Padma was raised in Wellesley, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston on the East Coast of the U.S. She attended drawing classes at The Boston Museum of Fine Arts at 13 and at 15 assisted Peter Dudley, from the Rhode Island School of Design, in creating a series of murals. Dudley encouraged her "mistakes" and pushed her to experiment with all kinds of techniques and media which continues to be her approach to creating art. She attended The Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, studying painting under Lionel Feininger. Her art education included the study of graphics, printmaking, and commercial arts at the New England School of Art in Boston.

In 1975, along with many others of her generation, she headed East in search of spiritual enlightenment. She traveled throughout India, Sri Lanka, Ladakh, and Nepal. It was during those early years of exploration that she discovered a fascination with sacred art, with a keen interest in Buddhist and Tibetan iconography and the ecstatic intricacies of Islamic design. She eventually settled in Pune, India, became a disciple of Osho (Rajneesh), and called India “home” until 1997.

She is the creator of the popular Osho Zen Tarot deck and book (US Games) and the TAO Oracle (St Martin's Press) a unique illustrated interpretation of the Chinese I Ching. Her new tarot deck The Sacred She is well underway and promises to be a stunner. Watch for it in 2010.

Padma lives and works with Ashika at their Embrace Art Studio in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria. Both artists are inspired by the nature that surrounds them. They live simply, are devoted to their work, their animals, and each other. Their home is a sanctuary; a place of rest, work, and laughter.