Beatty was born in New Canaan, Connecticut. From 1924 until 1929 she attended the Boston Museum School. She trained as a sculptor. Frederick W. Allen was the daily instructor at that time with Charles Grafly coming up from Philadelphia twice a month to give criticisms as head of the Sculpture Department.

Her works were exhibited nationally and won a number of awards. A one-woman show of her sculpture and drawings was held at the Worcester Art Museum in 1941. She also had shows at: Art Institute of Chicago, Knoedler Gallery-New York City, MacBeth Gallery-New York, Pennsylvania Academy, and the Society of Independent Artists.

In addition to being a sculptor, Beatty also took up writing and illustrating children’s books.

On October 11, 1959, she married Lewis F. Whitney, another artist.

Beatty once commented to Contemporary Authors, "I started out as a sculptor and gradually shifted over to the field of writing, becoming so absorbed in it that I devote nearly all my time to it now, along with illustration of most of my own books for children.”