Hey there! Did you know that Bob Ross, the famous painter from PBS, created over 30,000 paintings in his lifetime? That’s a lot of art! Let’s dive into some interesting facts about this beloved artist and his journey.
Bob Ross wasn’t always a painter. In fact, he spent some time in the U.S. Air Force, where he became a master sergeant. He was known for being tough, but when he left the military, he promised himself he would never yell again. He wanted to bring joy and calmness to people instead.
Bob Ross was inspired by another painter named Bill Alexander. While working as a bartender, Ross discovered Alexander’s painting show on PBS. He learned the wet-on-wet oil painting technique from Alexander, who became his mentor. Although they later had a falling out, Ross always credited Alexander for his influence.
Bob Ross’s show, “The Joy of Painting,” aired from 1983 to 1994. It had 31 seasons and 403 episodes! A businesswoman named Annette Kowalski helped get his show on PBS after seeing how captivating he was. Interestingly, Ross didn’t get paid for the show; he used it to promote his art supplies, books, and classes.
Ross is famous for his “happy little trees.” A study found that 91% of his paintings featured trees. His art was often inspired by the beautiful landscapes of Alaska, where he lived while in the Air Force. He loved painting nature and avoided adding people to his artwork, even leaving chimneys off cabins to keep them people-free.
For each episode, Ross painted three versions of the same artwork: one as a guide, one on camera, and a third for his how-to books. Most of his paintings were donated to PBS stations for fundraisers. Sadly, some were stolen from his van during the show’s second season.
Many people watched Bob Ross not to paint, but to relax. His calming voice and gentle demeanor made him a favorite for those looking to unwind. He was aware of this and loved that he could help people feel at ease.
Bob Ross didn’t like his iconic afro hairstyle, but it became his trademark. He even planned a children’s show called “Bob’s World,” where he would interact with animals, but it never happened. His art inspired many, and today, there are 3,500 certified Bob Ross painting instructors worldwide.
Bob Ross’s legacy continues with a YouTube channel featuring full episodes of “The Joy of Painting.” So, if you’re ever in need of some relaxation or inspiration, you know where to go. What’s your favorite thing about Bob Ross? Let us know!
Grab some paints and a canvas, and try your hand at creating a landscape painting inspired by Bob Ross. Focus on incorporating “happy little trees” and other elements of nature. Remember, there are no mistakes, just happy accidents!
Test your knowledge about Bob Ross with a fun trivia quiz. Prepare questions based on the facts from the article, such as his time in the Air Force, his painting techniques, and his show “The Joy of Painting.” Challenge your classmates to see who knows the most!
Learn more about the wet-on-wet oil painting technique that Bob Ross popularized. Watch a tutorial video and try it out yourself. Discuss with your classmates how this technique differs from other painting methods.
Experience the calming effect of Bob Ross’s voice by watching an episode of “The Joy of Painting.” Pay attention to how his soothing presence makes you feel. Afterward, share your thoughts on why you think his show was so relaxing for viewers.
Investigate how Bob Ross’s influence continues today. Look into the Bob Ross YouTube channel, the certified painting instructors, and any other ways his legacy lives on. Present your findings to the class in a short presentation.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, I’m Elliott Morgan, and welcome to The Salon. This is a Mental Floss video, and did you know Bob Ross estimated that he made over 30,000 paintings in his life? That’s a lot of paintings! This is the first of many facts about PBS star Bob Ross that I’m going to share with you today.
Though he was an expert in a very hands-on field, Bob Ross is actually missing part of his left index finger. When he was young, he cut it in a woodworking accident while working with his father, who was a carpenter. Ross was also in the U.S. Air Force for a while; he enlisted when he was just 18 years old and eventually became a master sergeant. After he left the Air Force, Ross vowed to never yell again. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, he explained, “I was 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. The job requires you to be a mean, tough person, and I was fed up with it. I promised myself that if I ever got away from it, it wasn’t going to be that way anymore.”
But back to his painting career. He was inspired by another painter named Bill Alexander. While he was a bartender, Ross discovered Alexander’s PBS painting show, and eventually, Alexander became his mentor. He taught Ross the wet-on-wet oil painting method. The two ended up feuding; Bob Ross often gave his mentor credit, but Bill Alexander became upset about Ross’s success. He once told the New York Times, “He betrayed me. I invented what I trained him in, and he is copying me.”
Bob Ross got his PBS show thanks to a businesswoman named Annette Kowalski. She was a fan of Bill Alexander’s show, so she signed up to take a painting class with Alexander’s mentee, a young Bob Ross. She saw how mesmerized people were by him, so she helped produce his show and get it on PBS. The show, of course, was called “The Joy of Painting,” and it ran for almost a decade from 1983 through 1994, with 31 seasons and 403 episodes total. Bob Ross didn’t get paid to do the show; he used it as publicity for his other sources of income, like how-to books, classes, and art supplies. It didn’t take up that much of his time either; the seasons were 13 episodes long, and he was able to film a season in quick succession over the course of about two days.
He might be best known for the happy little trees that he added to his paintings. In 2014, writer Walt Hickey conducted a statistical analysis of all the paintings from “The Joy of Painting” and found that 91% of Ross’s paintings contained a tree. The paintings were often inspired by the time that Ross spent living in Alaska while he was stationed there in the Air Force. Annette Kowalski once said that he was primarily interested in painting Alaskan scenery. He was also inspired by pictures; one reporter visited Bob Ross’s home and noted the postcards and pictures taking up the floor of the basement.
Why did he like painting? According to Bob himself, “In painting, you have unlimited power. You have the ability to move mountains; you can bend rivers. But when I get home, the only thing I have power over is the garbage.” One way he exercised that power was by removing people from all of his paintings. Kowalski noted that Ross’s paintings very rarely contained humans; he even refrained from putting chimneys on the cabins in his pieces because chimneys were man-made and represented people.
Each episode of the show required Ross to make three practically identical versions of the same painting: the first one was a guide, the second one was on camera, and then he painted a third one alongside a photographer for his how-to books. However, he didn’t sell any of his paintings; most of Ross’s art was donated to PBS stations for fundraisers. A few did get stolen—13 were taken from Bob Ross’s van during the second season of the show and were sold on the black market.
His show was very popular, but it turns out only around 10% of its audience was actually painting along with Bob Ross and his instructions. Most people just loved listening to him. He knew it too; in 2001, the New York Times interviewed Joan Kowalski, his daughter, who was the media director for Bob Ross Incorporated. She said, “It’s funny to talk to these people because they think they’re the only ones who watch to take a nap.” Bob knew about this; people would come up to him and say, “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you’ve been putting me to sleep for ten years.” He loved it.
People often see Bob Ross as a mysterious figure, but he once said, “I never turned down requests for interviews; I’m just rarely asked.” Another interesting fact is that he didn’t like his afro. He originally styled it that way because he didn’t want to waste time or money on haircuts, so he permed his hair. Eventually, his picture went on all his craft supply products, so he knew the hair had become his trademark and he couldn’t change it.
In the early 1990s, he planned to create a children’s show called “Bob’s World,” which the New York Times described as a wilderness version of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” It would have involved him talking to various animals like squirrels, deer, and foxes, but unfortunately, it never happened. Another thing we never got to see was Bob Ross on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” There’s a rumor that he was invited to be on, but he wanted to paint rather than be interviewed. The show was more interested in the fact that Ross didn’t live with his wife/business partner, Jane.
One thing he did get on television was promos for MTV, which aired during the 1990s. In them, his famous landscape paintings turned into the MTV logo, and in one commercial, he said, “MTV: the land of happy little trees.” In April of 2006, a developer announced that they were working on a series of Bob Ross video games for Nintendo. Many people speculated that it was an April Fool’s joke, but it turned out it wasn’t. Unfortunately, the games were canceled.
The “Joy of Painting” aired in a bunch of countries, including Japan, where he was extremely popular. He once visited the country and got mobbed by enthusiastic fans of his show. Not everyone was a fan, though; his art did inspire some criticism from a few artists. Some of his critics were quoted in the New York Times in 1991, calling his art “terrible, formulaic, and thoughtless.” Critics can be harsh, but that doesn’t stop people from becoming certified Bob Ross painting instructors. That’s right—3,500 people are trained to teach the Bob Ross technique to students around the world.
Finally, I return to The Salon to tell you that Bob Ross has a YouTube channel! Yes, I’m telling you this at the end of the video because I know you’re all about to click away and fall asleep to Bob’s voice. Bob Ross Incorporated has uploaded a bunch of full episodes of “The Joy of Painting.” Check the link in the video description. Thanks for watching Mental Floss video, which is made with the help of all these happy little trees. Tell me your favorite thing about Bob Ross in the comments, and don’t forget to be awesome!
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Art – The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture. – Art allows people to express their emotions and ideas in unique and creative ways.
Painting – The practice of applying paint, pigment, color, or other medium to a solid surface. – The painting of the sunset captured the vibrant colors of the sky beautifully.
Trees – In art, trees are often depicted as part of a natural scene or landscape, symbolizing life and growth. – The artist included tall trees in the background to give the painting a sense of depth and tranquility.
Nature – The natural world, including plants, animals, and landscapes, often depicted in art to show beauty and harmony. – The nature scene in the mural brought a sense of calm and peace to the room.
Joy – A feeling of great pleasure and happiness, often expressed through art to convey positive emotions. – The dancer’s performance was filled with joy, bringing smiles to the audience’s faces.
Relax – To become less tense or anxious, often achieved through engaging with art or music. – Listening to the soothing music helped the students relax before their big performance.
Technique – A way of carrying out a particular task, especially in the arts, involving skill and precision. – The artist used a special technique to create the illusion of light in the painting.
Landscape – A depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view. – The landscape painting captured the serene beauty of the countryside.
Instructor – A person who teaches a subject or skill, especially in the arts, guiding students in their creative development. – The art instructor showed the class how to mix colors to create different shades.
Legacy – Something handed down by a predecessor, often referring to the lasting impact of an artist’s work. – The artist’s legacy lives on through the many paintings and sculptures they created.
