Elizabeth (Bessie) Murray Tyler was a Virginia-born watercolorist whose career bridged portraiture and botanical art. A native of Richmond who later lived in Norfolk, she exhibited widely from Atlanta to New York’s Madison Square Garden and received numerous awards. During the 1930s, Tyler contributed to the Works Progress Administration, creating the Tidewater Wildflowers series—delicate watercolor studies of native Virginia plants that combined artistic skill with scientific observation. Many of these works entered the Chrysler Museum of Art through the Garden Club of Norfolk. Tyler remained active as a portrait painter and was remembered locally for her devotion to capturing both people and the natural world. She is buried nearby at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk.