Beards in Wondermountain

I really wish I could figure out how to add a poll to a single post on blogger. It seems I can only have a poll on the sidebar, but I'd love to get an opinion on something.

This lovely painting was made by the oh so talented Lisa Congdon. It's part of her "Life in Wondermountain" series, which was on display at Paper Boats Gallery in Milwaukee last December. There are several portraits which feature bearded men, but this one in particular got me thinking. My question is: does this guy's facial hair qualify as a beard, or is it a glorified soul patch? I'm currently leaning towards soul patch, since the mustache seems to be pulling most of the weight in this guy's facial hair relationship.
Either way, check out more of her amazing work from this show on Ms. Congdon's website, and if you're feeling flush with cash from your tax refund (i wish.), buy something from her Etsy shop! Here are a couple more of my favorites from the show.