Fran Watson’s formal training has been in painting and drawing. She studied at the University of Arizona, received her BFA at the University of Southern California, and continued further studies at the Museum School at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas. In 1996 she was one of the three founders of San Diego Book Arts. “My falling into book arts began as an intellectual exercise. I was taken with the idea of making a painting that ‘read’ like a book, page by page, but revealed itself as a painting only when the book was completed. That visual flow remains consistent in my books. From that time on, I was hooked, and the book took over. I have moved into printmaking, poetry, the painted books, collaborations – wherever it takes me. Watson’s books have been widely exhibited in shows across the United States, both invitational and museum exhibits. Her books are included in many university special collections.