Talley has been an artist since early childhood, and by her adolescence, she had grown passionate about creating artwork. She credits her art with helping her through some very challenging times in her life. “My artwork has given me a way to both contain and express powerful emotions that might have otherwise overwhelmed me,” Talley says. Formal art training began for Talley at the age of 16 when she started studying figurative sculpture under Frank Morgan in San Diego, California. She studied under Morgan for four years, and then moved to Minnesota in the early 1980’s upon acceptance to the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). Her studies at MCAD focused on composition, color theory, drawing, and painting. She was also very interested in math and physics and studied those topics at nearby colleges. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Arts with a minor in Mathematics. Talley currently works in St. Paul, Minnesota, and her art studio is in her home.