Hennings painted portraits of Taos Pueblo people, Nuevomexicanos, and Anglos around Taos, but Frank Samora of the Pueblo became his favorite model. One of his Chicago patrons, meatpacking mogul Oscar Mayer, commissioned Hennings portraits of Samora multiple times. Mayer gave away a “half dozen of these portraits” and “each was different.” Mayer wrote to Hennings in 1940, “Well Frank left again—this time he got into very fine company.”