Bob Ross: The American Saint of Paint

It’s 10:38 on a Wednesday night and I’m four hours into a Bob Ross “The Joy of Painting” marathon. As I look up at the clock I tell myself a little white lie: I should really go to bed, but one more episode won’t keep me up too late. We’ve all told ourselves similar things while in the midst of a minor media obsession. Do you binge watch old TV episodes like me? Don’t worry, having minor media obsessions are perfectly natural from time to time. What better obsessions are there to have than those that inspire the muse and creativity within?

Bob Ross’ work and mission throughout his many years of painting instruction were to impress upon the masses that anyone can create a work of art; all it takes is doing the thing repeatedly until one gets desirable results. Throughout the entirety of “The Joy of Painting” series his motto remained constant, “in our world there are no mistakes, only happy accidents.” He encouraged a nation, dare say a planet, to take brush and knife in hand and express their hopes and fantasies onto canvas. No painting of his would have been complete without a few “happy trees,” fluffed billowy clouds, and a bright red signature, “Ross,” that was scrawled in the bottom left corner of almost every piece he created on air.

Now available FOR FREE at the Internet Archive, Bob Ross’ “The Joy of Painting” series may continue to influence adults and children alike to paint their hearts out. You ask any fan of public broadcasting what they think of Bob Ross and they’ll usually mention having a soft spot in their hearts for his pleasant disposition and calming effect. And what do they find most appealing about the man? His soft dulcet voice and well kept afro made the top two appealing traits on the list. The man forged mountains from palette knives, and carved streams with a fan brush all within half an hour! These are not the monikers of a mere easel artist. Ross was a veteran of the United States Air Force (served 20 years), and was also a vehement supporter of wildlife rescue and preservation. His years of dedication and unwavering support of creativity and positive reinforcement in the arts earned him a place in American pop culture history. With love, and in a manner befitting Bob Ross, “I would like to wish you all happy painting and God bless, my friends.”