Francis Leon Beegle

Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Francis Leon began drawing as soon as her tiny fingers
could hold a pencil.  Nurtured and encouraged by her father, art has always been the
backdrop of her life.  At 16 she sold her first acrylic painting to the principal of her high
school.  Though she's participated in a myriad of art instruction she still considers herself
self-taught and this self-awareness has helped her develop the values and discipline she
lives by today.     

At twenty she married and moved to Southern California where she began exploring her
talent with art courses at the University of Riverside and at San Bernardino Valley College. 
Later, as a single woman, she opened her own mural/faux painting business in Redlands
which she christened "Making a Scene." Along the way she also picked up an Interior
Design Certificate from the University of Riverside in 2000 as well as a BS degree in 2001
from the University of Redlands.   

In 2014 Francis left California and moved with her husband Paul to Prescott, Arizona,
where she became very involved with the local art/artist scene.  She has spent considerable
time in classes at the Scottsdale Art School and continues to study 2 or 3 times a month with
internationally known pastel artist, Don Rantz.  Her primary mediums up to that time had
been acrylic and oil, but in 2022 she fell in love with pastels and this has been her primary
medium since then.  

Francis had her own art show in Sedona, Arizona in the spring of 2025, and in September
2025 one of her paintings was selected by Il Chiostro for an art show at the Salmagundi
Club in New York City.   She's a member of the Mountain Artists Guild in Prescott and has
served as its Education Coordinator since 2021 as well as a part-time gallery
assistant.  She’s been a member of the Arizona Pastel Association since 2022.

Since 2022 Francis has been teaching art classes at Yavapai College, Mountain Artists
Guild and Phippen Museum.  The fact that her classes always fill up quickly is a testament
to the enthusiasm she's committed to sharing with her students and bringing people
together. She possesses a gift for being able to share her years of education and
experience, and at her core she believes that art is a passion that can only be learned by
immersing yourself in it and by making the commitment to paint often and correctly.