BOB ROSS'
Virtual Time Capsule
Robert Norman Ross (October 29, 1942 – July 4, 1995) was an American painter, art instructor, and television host.
He was the creator and host of The Joy of Painting, an instructional television program that aired from 1983 to 1994
Ross was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, to Jack and Ollie Ross, a carpenter and a waitress respectively, and raised in Orlando, Florida. As an adolescent, Ross cared for injured animals, including armadillos, snakes, alligators and squirrels, one of which was later featured in several episodes of his television show.
He had a half-brother, Jim, whom he mentioned in passing on his show. Ross dropped out of high school in the 9th grade.
Bob Ross joins the Air Force...
In 1961, 18-year-old Ross enlisted in the United States Air Force and was put into service as a medical records technician. He rose to the rank of master sergeant and served as the first sergeant of the clinic at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska,where he first saw the snow and mountains that later appear as recurring themes in his paintings. He developed his quick painting technique during brief daily work breaks. Having held military positions that required him to act tough and mean, "the guy who makes you scrub the latrine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being late to work", Ross decided he would not raise his voice when he left the military.
...Bob Ross retires from the Air Force.
During his 20-year Air Force career, Ross developed an interest in painting after attending an art class at the Anchorage U.S.O. club. He found himself frequently at odds with many of his painting instructors, who were more interested in abstract painting.
"They'd tell you what makes a tree, but they wouldn't tell you how to paint a tree."
Ross was working as a part-time bartender when he discovered a TV show called The Magic of Oil Painting, hosted by German painter Bill Alexander.[7]: 17–18 Alexander used a 16th-century painting style called alla prima (Italian for 'first attempt'), widely known as "wet-on-wet", that allowed him to create a painting within thirty minutes. Ross studied and mastered the technique, began painting and then successfully selling Alaskan landscapes that he would paint on novelty gold-mining pans.[5][9] Eventually, Ross's income from sales surpassed his military salary. He retired from the Air Force in 1981 as a master sergeant.
Painting Technique
Ross used a wet-on-wet oil painting technique of painting over a thin base layer of wet paint. The painting could progress without first drying. The technique used a limited selection of tools and colors that didn't require a large investment in expensive equipment. Ross frequently recommended odorless paint thinner (odorless mineral spirits) for brush cleaning.
Combining the wet-painting method with the use of large one- and two-inch brushes, as well as painting knives, allowed the painter to quickly complete a landscape scene.
The Joy of Painting
The origins of the TV show The Joy of Painting are unclear.[11] It was filmed at the studio of the PBS station WIPB in Muncie, Indiana.[14]
The show ran from January 11, 1983, to May 17, 1994, but reruns still continue to appear in many broadcast areas and countries, including the non-commercial digital subchannel network Create. In the United Kingdom, the BBC re-ran episodes during the COVID-19 pandemic while most viewers were in lockdown at home.
Roger Danger
Roger Danger
Sam Hunter
Sam Hunter
Kaori Shelley
Kaori Shelley
Nick Banks
Nick Banks
Ross painted an estimated 30,000 paintings during his lifetime. Despite the unusually high supply of original paintings, Bob Ross original paintings are scarce on the art market, with sale prices of the paintings averaging in the thousands of dollars and frequently topping $10,000. The major auction houses have never sold any of Ross's paintings, and Bob Ross Inc. continues to own many of the ones he painted for The Joy of Painting, as Ross himself was opposed to having his work turned into financial instruments.
Influences
Ross dedicated the first episode of the second season of The Joy of Painting to Bill Alexander,
"years ago, Bill taught me this fantastic [wet-on-wet] technique, and I feel as though he gave me a precious gift, and I'd like to share that gift with you."
Ross was noted for his permed hair, which he ultimately disliked but kept after he had integrated it into the company logo.
Bob's Legacy...
Ross's likeness has become part of popular culture, with his image spoofed in television programs, films and video games like Family Guy,[42] The Boondocks,[43] Deadpool 2[44] and Smite.[45]
Reid Moore
In June 2016, Ross's series Beauty Is Everywhere was added to the Netflix lineup. The 30-minute episodes are taken from seasons 20, 21 and 22 of the original The Joy of Painting series.[56][57] The newfound interest surprised the Kowalskis, since they were managing Ross's image and The Joy of Painting episodes. They created a YouTube channel for Ross which gained more than a million subscribers within a year.[16]
Netflix continued...
In August 2021, Netflix released a documentary called Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed exploring Ross's life, career, legacy, and the controversy surrounding the Kowalskis versus Bob Ross's family.[59][60]
Colin Budgie
Children's book
In 2021, Bob Ross Inc. in conjunction with Running Press Kids, in imprint of Hachette Book Group, released the official Bob Ross children's book biography titled: This is Your World: The Story of Bob Ross.[61] Written by Sophia Gholz and illustrated by Robin Boyden, the book shares the story of Ross's life and how he eventually became one of the most well-known American painters of his time.[62]
Top 10 Bob Ross Quotes
“It’s hard to see things when you are too close. Take a step back and look.”
“We don’t laugh because we feel good, we feel good because we laugh.”
“There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.”
“Ever make mistakes in life? Let’s make them birds. Yeah, they’re birds now.”
“Talent is a pursued interest. Anything you’re willing to practice, you can do.”
“You can do anything you want. This is your world.”
“Go out on limb. That’s where the fruit is.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.”
“We want happy paintings. Happy paintings. If you want sad things, watch the news.”
“I really believe that if you practice enough, you could paint The Mona Lisa with a two-inch brush.”
Built with Shorthand