As a child during World War II, Tarttelin was evacuated from Grimsby to Kirkstead, near Woodhall Spa, and attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle.
While at the school he was awarded a prize for watercolour landscape by the critic and art historian Eric Newton.
He has been a gallery artist at Quinton Green Fine Arts, Cork Street, London, where he held a solo retrospective show.
While producing his own work, he taught at Grimsby School of Art where his pupils included actor John Hurt, and Nick Ellerby who has also exhibited at the Royal Academy.
Much of Tarttelin's work has been privately commissioned, including portraits of John Hurt for the film 1984 and Sir Joseph Nickerson for the Royal Agricultural Society, for the Church and the Quorn Hunt, and for racehorses Brigadier Gerard, Grundy, The Minstrel and Arkle.