Samantha Taylor
Mural #12 at the river basin adjoining Luminary Hotel depicts the Father of Fort Myers, Captain Francis Asbury Hendry. Mural #47 is of Elvis Pressley, who performed at our City Auditorium not once, but twice. The artist who painted both of these portraits is Samantha Taylor. She is one of 39 artists who have painted murals for the River Basin Mural Project being conducted by the City’s Public Art Committee, Community Redevelopment Agency and Fort Myers Mural Society.
A native Floridian, Samantha is known for her portrait paintings, local murals and tattoo artistry. As an avid painter specializing in oils and fluid mediums, Sam is inspired by the human form and 
surrealism.
She has also taught painting professionally across Fort Myers and Cape Coral.
Samantha painted a second mural for the River Basin. It’s a portrait of the Father of Fort Myers, Captain Francis Asbury Hendry, which can be found along the sidewalk adjoining Ella Mae’s Diner and the Luminary Hotel.
You can follow Samantha and see examples of her work on Instagram @misstaylortattoos.
January 17, 2023; revised July 31, 2023.
About the Author
Tom Hall is both an amateur artist and aspiring novelist who writes art quest thrillers. He is in the final stages of completing his debut novel titled "Art Detective," a story that fictionalizes the discovery of the fabled billion-dollar Impressionist collection of Parisian art dealer Josse Bernheim-Jeune, thought by many to have perished during World War II when the collection's hiding place, Castle de Rastignac in southern France, was destroyed by the Wehrmacht in reprisal for attacks made by members of the Resistance operating in the area. A former tax attorney, Tom holds a bachelor's degree as well as both a juris doctorate and masters of laws in taxation from the University of Florida. Tom lives in Estero, Florida with his fiancee, Connie, and their four cats.