Epic Win: Bob Ross
Bob Ross from “The Joy of Painting” on PBS
From Wikipedia:
Bob Norman Ross (October 29, 1942 – July 4, 1995) was an American painter and television host.
With his calm, patient nature, Ross came to prominence as the creator and host of The Joy of Painting, a long-running television program on public broadcast stations in the United States. When asked about his laid-back approach to painting and eternally calm and contented demeanor, he once commented: “I got a letter from somebody here a while back, and they said, ‘Bob, everything in your world seems to be happy.’ That’s for sure. That’s why I paint. It’s because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff, watch the news.”
1st comment on the site
Gotta love the hair.
his afro and his skills were on another level
epic bob ross clip ^
I loved this guy , used to watch his show every summer just to listen to his crazy stoner calm voice and see the images unfold.
I am glad I wasn’t the only one mesmerized by his voice.
Yup fond memories of the happy little ______ (insert object here), ‘magic white’ and his brush cleaning ‘technique’.
Ah, the brush cleaning technique, almost forgot about that…
::THUPPA THUPPA THUPPA THUPPA::
I love his cleaning technique. I actually think of him everytime I clean out my coffee basket and knock it back and forth inside the can lol what a great guy. I remember I was so sad when I heard he died, and I was only 15! He still comes on PBS every now and then. Don’t forget your happy little trees need some friends!!
may he find all the happy little things in heaven
when did he die!? he was a big part of my after school stuff when i
was a kid! I loved his cleaning the brushes out . . .i giggled every time.
I agree. His laid back way suited me and got me to get my paints out and start painting again. I too loved his “beat the devil out of it” brush cleaning. I miss him.
Some art snobs don’t consider his paintings “legitimate art” but he never claimed them to be. As he often said, you can create your own little world on the canvas. And if it makes you happy, that’s what’s important.
We used to watch him all the time in college when we were stoned.
We were blown away by it. It was the most amazing thing to see when you’re stoned.
This guy used to babysit me!
On telly, not for real… though I wish it was true…
Ah… I miss you Bob!
me too! i used to watch his show with my little brother.
Gotta love the happy little trees.
“Lets just paint a happy little tree here, yeah. Now that’s a happy little tree.”
Y’know, this li’l fella looks lonely. I know: how we mix a little yellow ochre into our burnt umber… aaaaaand there we go. There’s a big tree to keep all those little ones safe.
What gets me is I spent years watching him on a black and white television, yet somehow never missed out.
He always put the “happy ‘little’ tree” right in the middle of the &@%! painting!
Ha!
Here’s to Bob.
He taught me how to paint a happy little mountain . . .
The show still comes on, too, I watched him paint a happy little lake with some happy little trees a few weeks back.
We just put some Happy Comments here with a bit of Titanium White mixed in…
Gotta love Bob R.I.P.
-Doc
Yay for happy little trees.
most of the time i had no idea what the heck he was painting and then WOOSH…i could see it…
like early Magic Eye posters.
happy little posters..
And happy little clouds.
Sad Rocks? Bored Flowers? Depressed Dirt?
Nope, never. Everything in Bob’s paintings are at least OK and content if not completely happy.
This guy had a voice that could calm a crack addict desperate for a fix. He always sounded so soft and tranquil. As a kid, it made me want to fall asleep.
I want what *he* was smoking!
Incidentally, I kinda feel like painting something now.
Bob Ross was amazing. I still watch old episodes, especially if I can’t get to sleep. I doubt that there has ever or will ever exist a person with a more hypnotic voice.
He does have a soothing voice, but I think Carl Sagan’s is more hypnotic. Cosmos puts me to sleep every time! (not because it’s dull, though)
i tried to find an original bob ross artowrk once online, i couldnt.
Good luck ever finding an original work of Bob’s for sale. He gave some of his paintings to friends, but most of his original works are at the official Bob Ross Art Workshop in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. They are on display at the shop and each have an alarm.
I read he donated a lot of them to public television too. There must be so many paintings out there, you’d think they’d be easier to find.
And you know they have alarms from personal experience, right?
Bob Ross was my inspiration to go into art. Now I’m a professional graphic artist and enjoy painting happy little trees on weekends. Go figure!
What do you mean, American television? I’m Dutch, and the Netherlands had Bob Ross on television too. And we all enjoyed his shows tremendously.
Bob Ross, we miss ya. keep on painting those happy little trees wherever you are.
Echt wel!
Believe it or not, even my kids loved watching him….he was a gift to all of us!
Totally awesome dude. But you’ve all said it all. He was taken away far too young.
True, bizarre story: Bob’s voice is so similar to my Dad’s, that when he was gone in Kuwait, it was the only thing that put my younger brother and sister to sleep when they missed him. Thank you, Bob.
My favourite was his “2 hairs and some air!” whenever he was instructing you to paint lightly. And how he’d laugh when he cleaned his brushes and say, “My sound guy hates when I do that!” God broke the mold after him.
Bob didn’t come from a mold. He was a happy little one-off creation.
Used to watch him all the time as a kid… I was sad when I heard he’d painted his last happy tree…
Rest in peace, and fill heaven with happy little trees and mountains for us all.
A couple years ago, it was announced that there was going to be a Bob Ross video game for the DS and the Wii (but that was back when it was called the Revolution, so who knows if it’ll still happen).
Dude, this is still on the air … PBS thursdays @ 2 or 2:30 …
Anyone down-ranking Bob Ross gets sent directly to Hell. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
The show was so calming that I can’t begin to tell you how many times I drifted off to a nap watching it. I was constantly amazed by how easy he made it look to create a really spectacular scene with a few simple techniques.
He’s still on the air on pbs in Austin TX, tho I wish they’d put it on late at night when I really need Bob to paint me a happy place.
Bob will be sorely missed. I’m actually surprised at the number of people who know about him.
surprised? he’s on HOT TOPIC t-shirts.
oh now you’ve gone and done it.
They’ve stolen *everything* those emokids have. They weren’t even ALIVE, and they have carebears, rainbow bright, and now bob ross?
/cry
I have and do shop at Hot Topic, and have fond memories of watching The Joy of Painting before kindergarten every morning. So kindly come back when you actually know what you’re talking about…
Now, back to the happy little trees, everyone!
THANK YOU. I loved watching Bob Ross as a kid, even hung a poster of him in my room at the arts dorm at UNT… and I still shop hot topic. They have cool shirts, so what’s the big deal? Just because I’m not 17 and hate my life I can’t buy a cool shirt?
I miss happy trees… time to pick up my brushes again.
I’ll always love Bob. He’s an icon.
I loved the happy painter. His voice was so relaxing. And I loved wathcing him paint all his appy little things. Bob Ross was the man!
Even in UK we know him, and he still is the man. Painting with the angels now, but still with us, yes? He convinced me I could paint, too, and I do happy little flowers. Often think of him and his lovely voice. Thanks be for Bob Ross.
Not only did he paint happy little trees and happy little mountains, but he made happy little accidents. That’s such a great outlook.
To Maggie: I know just what you mean…when he’d start painting, I couldn’t see how it could possibly turn into anything cohesive – and while I’m pondering this brush stroke or that, I suddenly see a cabin in the woods. Incredible.
PBS has a digital channel called “Create” that is still showing reruns of Bob Ross. I’ve never actually tried painting anything, but I just love to watch this guy. I especially loved when he’d have some of his little woodland animal friends on the show.
I was saddened when he passed away, but at least he lives on in reruns.
I loved him and his show, but I would get so frustrated when I tried to paint the happy little trees and clouds and rocks and such and they came out looking like weeds and blobs and turds. He made it look sooooooooooooooooo easy!!
I love Bob Ross! I recently re-discovered him and now I have his show on my DVR so I can watch him whenever I want. (usually right before I’m going to bed)
I love the Family Guy bit with this guy.
D!
Remember the theme song to his show?
“Art is good for you
It’s good for your health, too
So tryyyyyy it
You’ll Liiiiiiike it
Art is good for you”
hehe
I teach Bob Ross classes!
Bob rules! Or shud I sai RULZ?
He is so missed. I took a “Bob Ross” style painting class at my local craft store last year and loved it! I was able to borrow some DVD’s from my library with his old episodes and techniques as well. Nobody compares to him.
Cool that you took the class! It’s fun isn’t it? I teach at my local craft stores and rec centers. It has changed my life.
HAPPY TREES!
I cant paint and really had no desire to but I liked to watch Bob Ross, his voice was hypnotic and he would make me giggle when he painted happy little trees and once he named the trees! It was funny. I still sometimes watch him, Im always in a good mood after watching him.
Bob Ross was such a gently soul. I enjoyed it when he would bring one of his orpaned animals on to show us. I always looked forward to his little giggle after he beat the brush against his easle, because he knew it ticked the crew off! Cheers to Bob Ross!
I find his voice and manner so soothing, that I downloaded a bunch of videos of him, and use it as a cure for anxiety and insomnia. It’s lovely. Bob is awesome!
My kitty love to watch Bob Ross. I don’t know if it’s his voice, or if she likes to watch the brushes, but it’s the only TV show she’ll watch. RIP Bob.
OMG – does no one remember the chipmunk in his shirt pocket??? Bob Ross was and still is the heat.
That was Peapod, his baby squirrel.
He rescued baby squirrels from a tree in his yard. There was more than one “Peapod”. He showed video clips about it on several of his shows.
I loved this guy. I’m a musician, and have NO fine arts talent at all. I would watch him for hours, fascinated at how a little line here, or a tap,tap,tap of the bristles could create a picture. I laughed at the whappa,whappa,whappa brush cleaning too. I always wanted to do that part!
I was so shocked to hear that he died of a heart attack when his TV demeanor was so cool and calm.
I’m also glad to hear there is a place with his art. I want to visit!
Susan in HK
He didn’t die of a heart attack. He had Lymphoma for years. Went to the Mayo clinic for treatment between shows.
He died from Lymphoma, not a heart attack.
I bought a Bob Ross “Happy Trees” t shirt at target a couple of years ago. I loved that show.
I love Bob Ross… His studio was in the basement of an academic building that used to be on my campus, Ball State University. I’m proud to say that I go to school where Bob Ross painted!
I cried when I heard Bob Ross had died. I watched every show he did.
HAPPY TREES!!!!!!
OMG, I thought I was the only one who’d listen to his voice and go into a trance-like state, just sitting there head cocked sideways and drool dripping to the floor.
Wow, I just checked a popular torrent site that rhymes with Birate Pay and they got Bob Ross torrents being actively seeded and leeched! I mean, you have some recent network shows barely limping along with like 2 seeders, or no seeders and just 3 leechers, and this old show is going strong.
Bob Ross lives!
One of the most amazing human beings ever! Bob was a gift to the rest of the world. I used to love watching his show, it was almost like slipping into a happy little trance, and the rest of the day just seemed so much better after listening to Bob and watching him paint.
Just reading everyone’s accounts of him makes me feel like I’m watching his show . I’m laughing, I’m tearing up, I’m inspired, I’m relaxed. I hope he knew what a great contribution he made, and how happy he makes so many just thinking about him.
Now, a happy little tree. a secret tree. shh! all the other tree’s won’t know about it. if you tell anyone i will fucking come to your house, rape, and then kill you. I’m fucking serious.
You are an ASS
Apparently it’s from a Family Guy episode or something. :/
not funny.
Bob Ross was the nicest guy I’d ever seen. He was like if Jesus and Buddah had a baby. If I was having a bad day, Bob Ross was the calm, reassuring voice saying “It will all be okay.” One half hour of Bob Ross was equal to 100 hours of stress management therapy. Bless you Bob.
He was the best! I loved his show when I was a kid, and he taught me how to paint. Most of all, he taught me how to work with mistakes, which sometimes make a work turn out even better than intended. It’s a philosophy that carries into life, too. I was so sad to hear he died so young, but he made such a difference and accomplished so much that he lives on in all of us who loved him.
I’m too young to have seen the show when it first aired, but i watch it on PBS whenever it’s on. A friend and I firmly believe that Bob Ross in the human incarnation of god and that every scene he paints appears -as if by magic- somewhere in the real world. He is so epic and I say most emphatically; Bob Ross For the Win!
Boondocks (on adult swim) did a show with a Bob Ross character who was marvelous. It was called “Riley Wuz Here”, season one 12th episode. The Bob Ross guy teaches a would-be graffiti “artist” what art is truly about.
Boondocks is fun, but that episode was actually touching. The final piece of artwork meant so much to their family that I felt it too.
OMG IVE SEEN THAT!
hehe, hard to imagine bob ross w/ a gun. lol.
Don’t forget his arch-enemy: Bill Alexander…”Fire it in!”
Bill Alexander taught Bob to paint! I wouldn’t call him an arch-enemy, but Bob did surpass him by a mile in success so I imagine there was a little resentment there.
holy poop – I completely forgot about the “Fire it in!” guy! I can still hear way he said it. I’m gonna have to see if it’s on youtube now, I must hear it again!
Thanks for the kind words everyone, they warm my heart and make me miss being there with you, painting.
i loved this guy–i used to watch his show when i got home from school on friday (they still show reruns on public television). anywho, i’d watch the show, and bob ross’ voice was so soothing that it used to lull me to sleep—god bless and happy painting bob ross!
we watched him to laugh at his formulaic fluff and delusional taste, and i could stand him for ten minutes at the longest but he mesmerized my dad. maybe he was happy in his safe hobbyworld, but art to me is beauty, life, struggle, and honesty and is what puts paintings on the walls of the best galleries and museums that one troubles to seek out. no, i’m not missing his point or your points, he does belong here with jarts.
The only good thing that EVER came out of Muncie, Indiana.
You’re forgetting the M-21 Transmission. Virtually Indestructible!
Those darn “happy” clouds and trees use to drive me nuts!
Bob Ross came into existence by climbing out of a Bob Ross painting.
Bob was the most awesome dude who ever painted a tree.
He has been shown here in at 6 AM every Saturday, for as long as I can remember, That is unless my local PBS affiliate is beggin’ for money (which is quite often). I still get up and turn it on in bed, and roll back over. I haven’t seen a lick of video in years, but that voice, oh that voice.
Those who are looking for Bob shirts, just go to bobross.com! Or I guess I could sell them to ya, but it would just be easier for you to order them straight from the company. So yeah…do that.
I used to watch this show with my Dad all the time. I’ve been trying to find it on the internet, but to no avail~
you can find some of the episodes on youtube if you search for joy of painting. I just watched “Storms on the Horizon.” It was extremely relaxing.
back when they used to actually play music, Bob did an MTV spot where, after he was done with his painting, he pulled away the stencil to reveal the old MTV logo…it was funny to hear him proclaim the tag line “MTV…home of happy trees”…I miss Bob.
i still watch bob almost every night – his soothing voice lulls me to sleep… dreaming of a happy little world… thanks gbh for putting him back on the air
I has a unhappy, Bob, ’cause I miss ya. Hope there’s happy everthings where you are. ♥
happy little trees i miss that!!!!
I hope his heaven has happy little trees. I’m tearing up just reading all this. He was pure greatness.
so am i
i <3 bob ross
rip,rip.
(comment is to mojojojo)
I’m actually waiting for my first set of ‘Joy of Painting’ DVDs to come in the mail–no joke, I ordered them a week or so ago
<<<super jazzed!
DEFINITELY an epic win. When I was little, I used to watch his show. His voice was strangely soothing… and that has got to be the best looking white-guy afro ever.
I haven’t noticed anyone mention “the bravery test” with him suddenly deciding to put a huge tree in the painting
Oh, man! That used to drive me bananas! He would paint this lovely landscape and then put a HUGE frakkin tree right down the middle of it! AUUGHHH!
Gary Larson made a ‘toon of Bob Ross being crushed by a huge tree falling out of his painting.
I still loved the show, though, and was saddened to hear of his death.
LOL, yeah. My dad loved watching this guy but he would always complain about him ’spoiling a perfectly wonderful picture’ with those huge-@@@ trees. May they both rest in peace.
oh man. He used to mesmerize me with his painting as a kid. We’d see him on AFM (Armed Forces Network) and he always put my brothers to sleep. Me, I’d be staring, trying to figure out what he was creating that day.
Happy trees~~~!
RIP, Bob Ross- I will always miss you and your “happy little trees.” Does anyone else remember the MTV commercial he did where he painted the logo amidst a mountain scene like he was famous for painting? Good stuff.
I worked at a PBS station in college and his show was an afternoon perk as far as I was concerned. I could be cramming for finals while trying to nurse a tetchy 1″ machine back to life as the station manager was coming down for inspections… and it would all go away.
I was actually at work when I heard he’d died and it was the oddest thing. It wasn’t a big deal, not a national tragedy, but you could just feel the air go out of the building for a few minutes. “He… what?!” The intranet PBS message boards were fantastic.
When I took my first tour at Ball State University (where I went to college), one of the first things they said about the arts building was that they filmed Bob Ross’s show there!!! WIN!
Where can i get videos of Bob Ross?
I love Bob Ross…
..and you can put in, what ever you want in your world- rocks can live in your world. You can put in happy little clouds to live in your world…
Everything was happy and everything was alive
And who doesn’t LOVE fros? Seriously.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE how so many people know of AND enjoyed Bob Ross….. this article has the most votes too… thumbs up of course and I love how the one huge common memory for everyone was also the same as mine: Happy Little Trees!
My mom and brother actually took a class of Bob Ross style painting using his patented paints and video tapes.
“happy little trees” *sigh*
God I didn’t realize how much I missed this until I saw it on youtube today… Took me less than 10 minutes to chill out and smile. I was almost giddy when he was painting “Happy little clouds” and “happy waves, you can have as many waves as you want in your world…”
What an awesome guy. He will always be a hero to me.
There are no mistakes! Its your happy little world!
God I love Bob Ross
I used to watch this on Saturday mornings while my mom cleaned house. Mom was an avid painter and took oil classes and painted for friends during the whole “country craft” phase LOL. She STILL has all his episodes on VHS!
oh my god, my sister and I used to wake up at like 5 in the morning and sit like inches away from the television to watch this guy. he was the biggest epic win ever. never has anyone rocked that hard talking that quiet and slow.
yeah!
Whenever he’s on TV, I watch him. He creates beautiful landscapes in around 7 minutes!!! Even his instructions are relaxing, really reflecting his paintings.
i remember watching this show and thinking i want to paint! my mom never let me though lol probably because i was like 4 but i always thought he made it look so easy!
fitting location! nicely done!
Wow. I remember watching his shows on TV about 18 years ago… Saturdays or Sundays, noon-ish.
I think they did for me what golf did for my husband. Relaxation, destressing, happy thoughts (about happy trees, happy clouds, whatever).
RIP Bob Ross. We need him in this world more than ever: not necessarily for what he thought he was teaching us, but for what was happening to us while we watched him. We slowed down, relaxed, destressed, and spent the time in the moment, watching what each poke of the brush accomplished.
watching his show was like getting 25 minutes of peace.
Here in Germany it’s still on TV every once in a while – and although usually everything gets dubbed here, this is the only show that’s in English – they don’t even subtitle it. Like the Quality of Bobs voice is enough for everyone to understand – transcending barriers, a truly universal message
Man I love that guy.
OMG I REMEMBER THAT EPISODE WHERE HE PAINTED THAT ONE IT WAS MAGIC
I’m an artist now. My mother is an artist–but Bob was the biggest influence for me. It wasn’t so much his technique (which I don’t paint like that), but just the way he was. He made the show fun to watch. It was always happy.
REMEMBER THE SQUIRREL?
Or how he spattered his paint brush dry. That always made me laugh. Didn’t make mom laugh when I tried it on her easel though.
I MISS YOU BOB ROSS!!!
“There are no such thing as mistakes – just happy accidents”
20 years later, it still sticks in my head.
This was referenced recently in the Miller High Life one-second commercials. “Happy Can”. xD
i actually used to live down the street from him when i lived in florida as a child. i think my house was on tall tree drive or something but i really dont remember him much, cuz i was really young. i think we invited him over for thanksgiving one year tho.
I love watching Bob Ross. When he adds his little doers then lightly smoothes them with 3 hairs and some air.
God bless you Bob.
two words: HAPPY TREES! love you always Bob Ross!
Tom Smith did a filk about Bob Ross. The song has stuck in my head…. Undead happy trees.
http://filkertom-itom.blogspot.com/2007/10/051-undead-happy-trees.html
Ross made painting look so easy
Many people don’t know that Bob Ross spent 20 years in the military (Air Force) and is the reason he has such a low tone and laid back attitude.
After graduating high school Ross spent 20 years keeping medical records for the U.S. Air Force, which is where he first started painting. Ross was living in Florida early in his military career when the Air Force transferred him to Alaska, where he first saw the snow and mountains that later became recurring themes in his artwork; he developed his quick-painting technique in order to be able to create art for sale in brief daily work breaks. Having held military positions that required him to be, in his own words, “mean” and “tough,” “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 that if he ever moved on from the military, “it wasn’t going to be that way any more,” and “vowing never to scream again.” (from wikipedia)