The Joy of Bob Ross

Whenever I sit down to watch an episode of The Joy of Painting, it feels as if all the weight in my chest has been lifted. I feel like that is the main goal Bob Ross wanted to accomplish with this series, teleporting people away from everyday stress through his art. Not only is watching Ross paint soothing, but so is listening to him speak words of encouragement to the audience. Phrases such as “everyone can paint” or “happy little trees” provides a sense of comfort as well as gives confidence to the artist painting with him. In the episode I watched, Home Before Nightfall, Ross emphasized the importance of letting ones own creativity come through. When he painted highlights to indicate a light source (the moon), he noted that you could add more or less color depending on what YOU wanted to do, not what he was doing. Ross also noted that he did not pain to sell his art work, but because it made him happy and allowed him to create a space he felt safe and happy in, which is in my opinion, the impact he left on viewers and artists everywhere.