Francisco went to Bend for the first time over 30 years ago while he and his family were on their last leg of a cross-country (and back again) trip. He had cousins in Bend who he hadn't seen for years and thought it might be a nice place to visit next. After rolling into town in a big, white station wagon that had seen more highways, more small towns, more lightning storms, and more freight trains than any car has witnessed since, the beast finally belched its last breath and died in front the elementary school.  So, Bend is where he and his family stayed for the next decade. Francisco hasn't owned a vehicle since. He walks, or rides his bicycle anywhere he needs to go, depending on buses and trains to take him to Portland to see his son, or Washington to see his daughter and grandbabies.

    Francisco was raised in a working-class family in East L.A. by his loving mother, the first person to encourage him to paint when he was four and she stuck a paintbrush in his hand, and his father, the first person to teach him humility. Francisco's children refer to him (and themselves) as an American mutt; Francisco's mother, he believes, was Native American and possibly French or English, while his father was Mexican and Slavic.

    Step into either of his children's home and you are instantly surrounded by Francisco's presence, as they used to get first dibs on anything he created. He once took back a painting he had given to a friend because his young daughter wallowed in agony at the thought of giving up her favorite piece, which now hangs on her son's wall. Dozens of others grace the walls of every room in her home, some of which were painted specially for her; a sunflower to match her kitchen decor, two bobble-headed Native American warriors who watch over her as she sleeps, and a spectacular landscape - Peep's Mountain - where she frequently goes in her dreams. His son's home flaunts some of his more recent works, mostly abstracts and collections. All created, gifted, and coveted with great affection.

    To watch Francisco at work is a marvel in itself as he meticulously begins his painting from right to left, careful not to smear the paint with his dominant left hand. He has the unique ability to bring a stark white Gessoed canvas to life in a few short strokes. 

    Francisco has created thousands of works over the decades, including ink sketches, abstract paintings, Native American drawings and portraits, as well as a full length novel, dozens of poems and songs that he once entertained his children with while playing along on the guitar. Francisco is an artist in every aspect of the word.