John Beard

At 36 years of age, John asked his acclaimed artist mother for a blank canvas. Not wanting to waste a new one, she gave him a sheet of artist paper. “I’m going to paint.” And paint he did.

His past working abroad in ministry in over thirty-five nations intertwines with his present to catalyze on canvas, creating something much more than an image hanging on the wall. John is a rare find, much like the paintings he creates.

Art seeps into every corner of John’s life. In his career, his home, his marriage, his perspectives, and his dreams. Creativity does not sleep; it is in constant motion working in John’s mind. But don’t be fooled, art is his second love, while his wife, interior designer Molly Beard, takes the lead.

“I respect Molly very much for her talents and the way she handles herself in professional mode. I smile often as I watch her work knowing she is my person and her drive equals my drive and that our goal is the same.”

Their most recent endeavor: relocating John Beard Collection Headquarters to a larger production facility with a gallery front open to the public, situated ideally on CR210 in Saint Augustine.

Cracking the code to make a living as an artist, John and his crew stay busy creating giclees of John’s art while he fills commission orders and often paints into the night.

“There are times when I step back and work on other projects that are at other phases of the creative process that may require less focus and more relaxation. Tennis is an outlet for me four days a week. Sometimes, I go into the studio alone for late-night paint sessions where I release and unleash my creative energies; this is very restorative.”

What else does John do when there isn’t a canvas in front of him? You can find him in the garage building a vintage race car or hanging out with his four (adorable) dogs.

Stop by John Beard Gallery; John may even pop out and say hello!