An Ode to Bob Ross

by Elizabeth Van Allen for scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com

It takes a very special person to be able
to look through a TV camera straight into
the hearts and minds of millions and
connect with them on the level that
Bob Ross did.  That man was hypnotic.

Saying that art making should be accessible to the masses is one thing, but convincing the general public that they can and should make art is a completely different matter altogether.  For centuries creating art was a trained vocation reserved for only a few.  Owning art was a privilege enjoyed by only the richest and most elite families and well-funded organizations.  

Thanks to dollar stores and the internet, these days almost everyone has access to at least the most basic of supplies and instruction.  Yet even with the luxury of accessibility that we now enjoy, there are still so many who don't or won't take a chance on themselves and just create.  In my expert opinion, there is one giant, glittery elephant in the room that keeps most people from expressing themselves through art: the preconceived notion that only those deemed as 'artists' can or should make art.  That's where the magic that was Bob Ross comes in.

So who was BOB ROSS?  
Here's the reader's digest version:

• Before painting, he had a 20-year career in the air force and retired at the rank of Master Sergeant
• He was a lover of wildlife and often cared for baby, injured, and abandoned animals- especially squirrels
• He hosted the The Joy of Painting on PBS from 1983-1994 (USA)
• Bob used a rapid painting technique called wet-on-wet (also called alla prima) in which paint layers are applied directly onto other wet layers and color is blended directly on the canvas.  Side note: Painting in this way is very easy to learn and satisfying to use, but traditionally it is often looked down on by the larger art community.  In my opinion, this is partially due to it's ease of use.  In comparison to other painting techniques it takes very little training to produce a pretty picture, and is sometimes seen as a cheat or a shortcut with little actual content or merit as a professional technique.
• He used the wet-on-wet technique because it allowed him to teach some basic painting skill to anyone who wanted to learn.  This made it possible for him to do a complete painting from start to finish in a mere 28 minutes per episode.
• Bob Ross painted because it made him happy.  He taught painting to bring more happiness into the lives of others.

This painting is by Franz Hals, a
16th century Flemish master and
pioneer of the alla prima technique.
Learn more at http://www.explore-drawing-
and-painting.com/oil-painting-technique.html

The following art geek moment was brought to you in part by the 16th century: The wet-on-wet technique is documented as having been used by the Flemish and Impressionist masters, among others.  It came into fashion with the Impressionists because painting in this way made it much easier to capture a moment in time in it's entirety while actually experiencing it.  This coincided with technological advances that make tubes of paint commercially available for the first time.  This enabled painters to travel greater distances to work outside of their studios without having to prepare and package their own paints for hours in advance.  

Somewhere in the tiny part of my brain that is reserved for art snobbery, I keep hearing a disturbing whisper.  "You shouldn't like his work", it whispers.  "his painting is sentimental fluff without purpose or message".  It's a good thing that I have a much larger section  

Watch Bob Ross feed a baby squirrel at 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YmIpZ8iius
pic from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/
17/bob-ross-feeds-a-baby-squ_n_1970322.html

overruling it.  "THIS MAN BROUGHT ART MAKING TO PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE" it shouts.  "HE SHOWED US THAT ANYONE COULD MAKE ART WITHOUT FANCY EQUIPMENT OR A STUDIO".  

"BESIDES," it bellows, "HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY DISLIKE A MAN WHO TOOK THE TIME TO BOTTLE-FEED ORPHANED BABY SQUIRRELS?  HAVE YOU NO SOUL?"  

And so, as I reflect on my (possibly unhealthy) dedication to a true cultural icon, 
I would like to express my feelings in verse.  

Bob Ross: the Haiku
The joy of painting
Hypnotizing voice and hair
Happy little trees

Bob Ross: the Limerick
Bob Ross was an oil landscape painter
who said "be happy" to the haters.
With hair worn in curls,
he bottle-fed squirrels
and inspired generations of art makers.

Is there someone who had 
a profound effect on your 
philosophy and/or art? 

Leave a comment and tell us how!