He first crossed over into the pop-culture mainstream when he started recording MTV commercials in the early 1990s. At that point, his appeal was a little ironic. But over time, the appreciation of Bob Ross has morphed into something nearly universally earnest. A 2011 PBS documentary, Bob Ross: The Happy Painter, featured interviews with celebrities from a variety of fields who were unabashed fans. The renewed interest in Ross also led to questions of where his paintings were located, given that more than a thousand works were created for The Joy of Painting. In an investigative report by The New York Times, the Kowalskis affirmed that they still held all of them, though without the proper care generally needed to store art. [16] In 2019, four of Ross's paintings were acquired by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, [59] which displayed one of the paintings in 2021. [60] Ross was an “incredibly skilled artist” whose work elicits “a cosy winter feeling”, says the director. He recalls speaking to one person who found Ross’s show a refuge from arguing parents headed for divorce. “It was chaotic, a lot of yelling, a lot of fighting and their home life was rough, but when they got home from school and they could watch Bob Ross for 30 minutes they were completely detached from the angst that permeated the house. ” 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. [64] 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. [65] Perez, Sarah (November 9, 2015). "After Pulling In 5.6M Viewers, Twitch Is Keeping Bob Ross On The Air". TechCrunch. Verizon Media . Retrieved July 19, 2019.

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American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness. 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 on PBS in the United States, CBC in Canada, and similar channels in Latin America, Europe and elsewhere. Ross would subsequently become widely known through his posthumous internet presence. [1] [2] [3] Early life In 1975, he had a part-time job as a bartender. One day, the TV was tuned to the public-broadcasting channel, and he saw the art show hosted by the cheery, German-accented television painter Bill Alexander. In a format similar to what The Joy of Painting would become, Alexander would finish an entire painting in under 30 minutes, encouraging the audience the whole time with phrases such as “With all of our creative power, we will create a better tomorrow!” Ross and Ridge's marriage ended in divorce in 1977, [ citation needed] allegedly due to Ross' infidelity. [36] Ross and his second wife Jane had no children together. In 1992, Jane died of cancer. In 1995, two months before his death, Ross married for a third time, to Lynda Brown. [38]Leopold, Todd (October 29, 2015). "Bob Ross Marathon Underway on Twitch". CNN . Retrieved October 30, 2015. A cigarette smoker for most of his adult life, Ross expected to die young and had several health problems over the course of his life. [36] He died at the age of 52 on July 4, 1995, in Orlando, Florida, due to complications from lymphoma. [12] [39] [40] They are aware of the documentary. I’m pretty sure that they have not viewed it. I’m not sure, to be honest with you. This fear was murky initially, but it was they made it clear that it centred around some form of legal retaliation and there was a corporate entity that they wouldn’t name. And so in that moment, I, like any documentary film-maker, knew that this was going to be something that I had to do and this was probably going to be more compelling than I even could have anticipated.” That has changed over the past month. After the scathing documentary Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed debuted on Netflix, calls to the Herndon, Virginia, business turned angry. The film depicted the company as exploitative after Ross’s death in 1995 and heartless toward his survivors, particularly Ross’s son, Steve Ross. Now when the phone rings at Bob Ross Inc., the dozen or so people who work there brace for an earful. “When the phone rings, maybe it’s not going to be somebody who just wants to gush about Bob for 15 minutes,” Kowalski says.

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It turns out that a lot of other people feel the same way. As long as he’s been on television, he’s had a large, devoted fan base. At the end of the 1980s, Joy of Painting had 80 million worldwide viewers and received 200 letters in the mail every day, according to old newspaper stories. Not long after the show went on the air, the company that Ross started with his business partners created an 800 number fans could call to ask questions about the painting technique: My trees are blurry or My rivers look funny or My colors are mixing when they shouldn’t. Sometimes people would call just to talk about life in general.

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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. [62] [63] The landscapes he painted, typically mountains, lakes, snow and log cabin scenes, were inspired by his years in Alaska, where he was stationed for the majority of his Air Force career. He repeatedly said everyone has inherent artistic talent and could become an accomplished artist given time, practice and encouragement. Ross would say, "we don't make mistakes; we just have happy accidents." [30] Joan Kowalski’s first job at Bob Ross Inc., the business her parents cofounded in 1985 with the beloved TV painter, was answering the telephone. It used to be one of the best jobs in the office. She kept doing it now and then, even after becoming president of the company. “We’re so used to just having people swoon over Bob. It makes our day. It’s what we are all doing here,” Kowalski says. “We actually fight over answering the phone.”

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Ross also filmed wildlife, squirrels in particular, usually in his garden, and he would often take in injured or abandoned squirrels and other animals. Small animals often appeared on his Joy of Painting canvases. [9]

More consequentially the Kowalskis, who declined to be interviewed, now control Bob Ross Inc, the company that oversees the lucrative use of Ross’s name and image on paints, brushes and other merchandise. Steve alleges that, when his father was nearing death, the Kowalskis asked him to get Ross to sign a “memorial agreement”. The documentary noted that they didn’t attend his funeral. And that does strike me as a bit surprising given their long relationship.

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Dawn, Randee (September 29, 2017). "Target is selling a Bob Ross board game and it looks delightful". Today . Retrieved October 6, 2017.In 1995, a visibly ill Ross made his final public television appearance as a guest on the pilot episode of the children's series The Adventures of Elmer and Friends. The series premiered in 1996, one year after Ross's death. The episode included a final message of thanks from Ross to his fans and viewers and a musical tribute. [35] Personal life In no way did I set out to make a film that was a ‘gotcha!’ film,” Rofé says via Zoom from New York. “I just wanted to make a film that would represent this individual who is in many ways a mystery and yet completely beloved by so many.” Ross fans will be relieved that his avuncular reputation emerges intact. And while the legal battle has garnered most attention since the film’s release, for Rofé it is not the emotional heart of the piece. The documentary includes a poignant segment about Steve making awkward appearances on The Joy of Painting and being put under pressure to follow in his father’s brushstrokes.