About 

I have always been a maker.  Whether its painting, drawing, weaving, embroidery, book binding, etching, picture framing, et al I am always working on something.  I get antsy if my hands aren’t busy, if there isn’t paint under my nails, pencil shavings in my hair or stray threads stuck to my clothes.” 

Born and raised on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains, I spent most of my formative years in idilic Carbondale, Colorado.  In the early 2000s the big city and art school beckoned.  I moved to Chicago and enrolled at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, graduating in 2006 with a BFA in Fiber and Material Studies.  I spent the next seven years working as a picture framer and sporadically producing new works.  In 2013, tired of the hustle and bustle of the Windy City, I could no longer ignore the siren song of the mountains and was soon Colorado bound.  At first the move back to Carbondale was just going to be a pit stop on the road to some new exciting place, but when a great job opportunity at Main Street Gallery and The Framer opened up, the move back home became a more permanent one. 

In early 2014 I was presented with the chance to be one of Main Street Gallery’s featured artists.  Knowing that the conceptual fiber art that I had been producing up to that point really didn’t mesh with the other artists oeuvre.  I took this opportunity to go back to my roots and try my hand at more traditional medias.  The multi media assemblage pieces produced for that first show were a natural extension of a series of commissioned pet portraits.  The reimagined saints, and icons were inspired by and coincided with the Mardi Gras themed First Friday.  The work has evolved beyond its early saintly inspirations to become intricate anthropomorphic portraits, with strong humorous and quirky underpinnings.  I am available to do commissions, send me an email at ctallm@gmail.com or click the contact link for more information.

These days you can mostly find me at Main Street Gallery where I am not only one of the talented artists they represent, but also one of their accomplished custom picture framers.  Stop by and take a look at the menagerie or utilize my 10+ years of experience to help design your next framing project.