A Letter to Mom

Hi Jojo…..

I’ve been thinking about you this week a lot. Probably because tomorrow is Mother’s Day. Even though you’ve been in heaven 6 ½ years, I still miss you so much. Especially on holidays. They were always so important to you…..You loved to celebrate them in style, making each special occasion one to remember, a time to celebrate family, friends and the many gifts we’d been given.

We will go to church tomorrow morning and then have a special dinner (Jimmy’s veal and pasta!) with Jimmy, Caroline, Ann Frances, James, and Abby. Hailey wants to be with just her little family. I get that! And Jack and Simone are in Golden. It’ll be a lovely day with my peeps!

Yesterday I was working in my sketch pad/art journal and before I knew it I had a two page “creation of some sort” using old pics of you and Aunt Apey. These old photos have been in a folder of “oldies” for awhile and yesterday they finally got to make an appearance. You two were quite a duo from all of the stories I’ve heard. Best friends all your lives. You even gave me her name, Mary Lynn. (I feel that way about Mary and Kristie!). Friends like that are a gift, aren’t they?!

Jojo and me, circa 1978

I’m not going to make this a long letter because I know I’ll be writing you again. I want to write Dad, too. I just want to say thank you for showing me how to love, serve, laugh, play, guide and so much more. You taught me how to be a wife, a mom, a sister, a friend. I’m so very grateful.

The last 12 years with you were a gift and also so difficult. The fading of your memory was hard to watch but even in those years of Alzheimer’s, you stayed so incredibly kind. I’ll talk more about some of those days with you in another letter. Just know I love you and miss you but I know you’re so happy being with your Savior and your husband of so many years.

Okay, I need to say adios for now because it’s time to go start dinner. Artichokes, salmon, steak, and sweet potatoes! Yum! Give Dad a hug for me.

Love,

Lynnie

Reflections

As this year comes to a close, I want to pause and simply say thank you. Your support—your notes, encouragement, shared stories, and love of art—has meant more to me than you probably realize. I never take it lightly that you choose to be here.

Like many of you, this year held both beauty and heaviness. For some, it meant the loss of a loved one, a friend, or a beloved pet. For others, a health diagnosis, an injury, addiction, or simply the exhaustion of carrying too much for too long.

As for me, losing our sweet dog Frida in such a heartbreaking way still sits heavy in my heart. And the last six months of 2025—full, wonderful, demanding—have left me completely wiped out. I’m waiting (and trusting) that my creative energy will return… hopefully soon.

As I look toward 2026, I’ve chosen a word to guide me: STRENGTH.

Yes—strength in the physical sense, in getting healthier and stronger. But even more, strength to say no to what isn’t right for me. Strength to step away from doing things for the wrong reasons, or simply to please others. And strength to rest in God’s perfect timing—for myself and for those I love.

When I think of strength, I picture a tiny mountain wildflower. One that grows in the middle of wild storms and harsh weather, yet continues to bloom anyway, lifting its leaves as if saying thank you to its Creator! I believe the “battles” taking place around it are what give it the strength to stand and grow. I want to be like this little flower…Growing stronger in the dark days as well as the sunny ones!

‍ ‍ Finding Strength in the Storms and the Sunshine!

I’d love to know—what comes to mind when you hear the word strength? And even better… what word would you choose to guide your 2026?

Thank you for being here with me. I’m grateful beyond words.

Farewell Frida and 2025

‍ ‍Ruby and Frida this past summer in Santa Fe.

Saying goodbye to 2025 comes with so many emotions, both wonderful and difficult. I won’t bother you with all of them. Just a few of the highs and lows.

I have so many incredible memories from the year, beginning with an incredible ten days in San Jose del Cabo last with both good friends and then our adult children and their spouses. Did you know we used to live there? From 1998 until 2001 we called Cabo our home while my husband, Jimmy, helped get the first private golf club in the Baja built. Querencia, was and is one of the most incredible places our family has been a part of. But that’s another blog post all together!

Then there were the commission requests ranging from the hunting guides outside their cabin to the painting of the husband holding his prize mountain lion that he got on the hunt. (That was definitely a first for me!). A few cowboys and Native American paintings as well as florals and even a happy couple! They were all challenging and mostly fun!

Another high was giving my first art talk at Brumbaugh’s Fine Furniture and participating in their Cowboy Collection Art Show. And the three Open Studio art events I was a part of.

The Las Campanas Community Foundation Art Gala was a biggy. My painting sold for a whopping $20,000 which blew me away and raised money for different foundations in the Santa Fe area. I loved being able to help!!

‍ ‍ My painting that I donated to the Las Campanas Community Foundation art gala

We came back to Fort Worth at the end of September after having spent another wonderful four months at our home in Santa Fe. Walking Frida and Ruby everyday, golfing, painting, fishing, family visiting, and lots of time with good friends there! A fabulous summer.

But one week later we had the unthinkable happen. Our sweet dog, Frida, ate a tube of toxic creme (for skin cancers) which, unfortunately took her life. We were, and honestly, still are, so heartbroken. To lose a pet any time is hard, but to lose one in such a tragic way really ripped us up. (She’s the light colored pup in the top photo.). Ruby is missing her, too.

There were three shows within one month, which I don’t recommend to anyone! All of them were incredible and I met so many new collectors and art lovers. BUT, the painting I had to do leading up to the shows, including finishing a couple of commissions, completely wiped me out. I truly hope I learned my lesson!

The prize at the end of it all was a week with Jimmy in Paris and London! We enjoyed walking everywhere, looking at all of the Christmas decorations, eating incredible food, going to amazing pubs, and seeing two shows…….The Devil Wears Prada and Hamilton. I have to say, Hamilton took my breath away. I literally don’t think I was breathing at the end of it!

One of the many quaint allies hiding in Paris.

So now it’s goodbye to another year. I’m going to try to do better in writing this blog in 2026. We shall see. I’ve already got things I’d love to talk about so stay tuned. In the mean time….

Merry Christmas my friend, and Happy New Year!

Another Legend

Pat Green and his band performing be the premiere of Window to the West: Live from Billy Bob’s Texas

A week ago, I found myself standing in the middle of something special—my painting, right there front and center, behind country music legend Pat Green as he performed at the premiere of a short film about Billy Bob’s Texas.

I’m not sure anything prepares you for that moment—seeing your art take up space like that, quietly speaking while someone else sings. It felt humbling, a little surreal, and honestly, kind of emotional.

But what truly stopped me in my tracks was Pat himself. He sang his heart out, knowing full well that the very next morning he’d be attending the funeral of his brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews, all lost in the recent flooding in Central Texas. I can’t even imagine the weight of that grief. And yet, he showed up. He sang. He gave the room his voice.

And I couldn’t help but think—we artists, in whatever form we create, really do have a voice. Whether it’s a song, a painting, or a story, our work can speak when words might fail. It can comfort, connect, and remind people that beauty still exists even in hard moments.

That trip home for the event? Completely worth it. Not just for the honor of having my work included, but for the reminder that art matters. It shows up when we need it. Just like Pat did.

Lynn

Two Legends

“Two Legends,” ©Lynn Samis

I painted Two Legends a few months ago to include in my Open Studio this past May. If you’ve spent any time poking around my website or following me on social media, you’ve probably noticed I have a deep love for painting Native Americans and cowboys—especially when the reference photos are vintage, from the late 1800s and early 1900s. There’s just something about those faces, the stories behind them, and the quiet strength they carry. This particular image stopped me in my tracks. It shows Chief Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill Cody together—posing side by side, even though history tells us they weren’t exactly best buddies. Buffalo Bill had quite the resume: he rode for the Pony Express, served in the Civil War, and later became a scout for the U.S. Army. Then, of course, he created his Wild West show, which toured all across the U.S. and Europe. (Seriously, can you imagine seeing that in person?! I would’ve loved it.) In 1885, Sitting Bull—legendary Lakota leader and warrior—actually joined the show for about four months. It was a strange pairing, and yet… it sparked something like a friendship. Or at least a mutual understanding. Either way, it’s real, and that alone is fascinating to me.

What I love most about this image—and what inspired me to paint it—is the reminder that connection can show up in the most unlikely places. That even across big divides, a thread of friendship can still form, if we let it. It makes me think of the friendships in my own life. I feel incredibly lucky to still be close to a few friends I’ve had since I was a little girl growing up in Edmond, Oklahoma. That kind of lasting connection feels like a treasure these days. But I’ve also seen how some friendships drift quietly out of the frame—people I thought would always be part of the picture, suddenly not there anymore. It’s bittersweet. But I think it’s part of the ride.

When I painted Two Legends, I wasn’t just trying to capture a historical moment—I wanted to honor that layered complexity. The tension. The respect. The quiet sense that even brief connections can leave an imprint.

Technically, it was a challenge. I worked to preserve the weathered look of the original photo, but also breathe new life into it through color and brushwork. I spent a lot of time with their faces—every crease and shadow felt like a conversation. Sitting Bull's gaze is steady, proud, unwavering. Buffalo Bill’s expression reads a bit more performative, but not without sincerity. It was important to me that both men be portrayed with dignity—aware of their legacies, and maybe, in some unspoken way, aware of each other.

People sometimes ask if it’s hard to “let go” of a painting once it’s finished, especially after spending so many hours with it. And the answer is yes—sometimes it really is. But Two Legends felt different. It felt like I was just borrowing that moment for a little while. Just long enough to sit with it, honor it, and pass it along.

If you saw Two Legends during my Open Studio this May, thank you for pausing with it. For standing in front of those two legendary figures and feeling, like I did, the strange and beautiful echo of connection—across time, across cultures, across everything.

Two Legends is still available, and you can view it on my website—or feel free to reach out to me directly if you’d like more information. I’d be happy to share more about the piece.