Depending on who y’all ask, Bob Ross was arguably one of America’s most talented artists. Critics may snub their nose at his wet-on-wet technique yet Mr. Ross and his legacy of television shows, classes and paintings cannot be challenged as great work. Even better: Bob Ross was born South of the Mason Dixon Line. He came into the world in Daytona Beach, Fla., grew up in Orlando, and it wasn’t until the Air Force shipped him to Alaska when he was 18 did Bob Ross see snow. The amazing landscapes impacted this Southern young man. Snow covered peaks challenged the power of his imagination shaping him into a great painter.
Ross once said, “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.”
We feel the same way at PrettySouthern.com. Did anyone out there watch Bob Ross on public television growing up? Did you ever try to paint along with him?