Lalima was always artistically inclined but did not get any formal training. She has a Ph.D in social work and worked in the field for more than a decade in India. While working as a professional social worker, she got exposed to different forms of folk arts at their source. Lalima was intrigued by uniqueness of each, but two impacted her the most. Those were Warli from the state of Maharashtra and Madhubani from the state of Bihar. Madhubani art uses vibrant colors, beautiful patterns, and the intricate use of lines. Meanwhile, Warli art is created with very basic graphic expressions: a circle, a triangle, and a square. Warli is done only in white. It was only after moving to the United States that she started painting. Initially Lalima created paintings in each style, but then started fusing two folk arts.

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       Lalima's work is mainly around nature-oriented themes. Some examples are fish - a symbol of good luck and fertility, sun - a symbol of light and prosperity, birds- a symbol of love and freedom, and snakes - a symbol of the divine protector. Balancing and creating a rhythm between the two-art forms is key to the fusion. The painting is done on multimedia paper using watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and an archival waterproof pen. First a free hand sketch is made in pencil. Next, it is outlined with a waterproof archival pen or with a nib pen dipping in acrylic ink. Once the composition is fully outlined, the colors are filled in. To get the fusion style, she paints the paper in black or brown and then does the Warli style in white acrylic color. Each painting is a free hand sketch and a unique composition.

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       Lalima started painting as a hobby but it has become a profession. She hasresearched the two art styles in depth to understand the symbolism and meaning behind each style and its evolution. Creating art makes her happy, and it provides an avenue to express meaningful thoughts. Being a researcher and social worker, each of Lalima's works is created with a message or symbol attached to it.