Downtown Greencastle is the home of a new art gallery. The Bearded Painter features the talent of local artist Rick Johnston. While Putnam County is known for its abundance of the arts, what makes Rick’s story so captivating and a bit of a miracle is how Rick, who had never before been artistic, became an artist.
In 2015, Rick Johnston, was a supervisor for Carrier. True to his hardworking character, he was on his seventy-second straight day of work when he suffered what doctors initially thought could be a stroke. He had a neurological disorder. His wife Cammie recalls “his brain was telling his body that he’s had a stroke, but he hasn’t and the doctors couldn’t explain exactly what was wrong.”
Eventually Rick returned home, but his life was forever changed. He couldn’t walk or talk and could only eat soft foods. As part of his therapy, Rick began meeting with a speech pathologist, who had him try using a paintbrush as part of his therapy. In July of 2017 he began painting on index cards and then paper and eventually moving to canvas. The man who had never been engaged in anything artistic was now blessed with a new skill and passion.
Jump ahead to 2019 and Rick is a hardworking artist, painting for hours, sometimes days at a time. “In a 24-hour period, the most I’ve ever done is five in a day. Usually, it’s one to three.” He also has a unique style, beginning many paintings upside-down and then flipping them over halfway through for completion. Besides that, Rick is right-handed but most of his painting is done with his left hand.
The Bearded Painter gallery, 15 West Franklin Street, is next door to Almost Home on the north side of the square. At the moment, hours are limited but Rick opens the gallery during downtown festivals and is also a frequent guest at various Putnam County events.
You’ll find Rick at “The Bearded Painter” on Facebook, along with gallery hours, local appearances and photos of hundreds of his paintings. facebook.com/groups/1868836060074665/
