Talin's Tropical Studio

Talin Lyman's delicate brushstrokes cover the walls of a former U.S. vice president's winter home, frescoes within InterContinental hotels in Tuscany and Rome, and furniture that adorns Martha Stewart's own abode. From canvases to murals to throws of pillows designed for people and pets, the virtuosic painter daubs blank spaces with flora and fauna inspired by her childhood spent traveling to far-flung countries with her missionary father. Lyman also throws open the doors of her studio for an array of classes geared toward adults—such as Painting to the Oldies—and children, where she intersperses hands-on activities with lessons about great moments in art history, such as the day Georges Seurat invented the polka dot.