Bob Ross

Hello there, friend. My name is Bob Ross. A long, long time ago, on October 29th, 1942, I was born in a sunny, warm place called Florida. When I was a little boy, I loved to be outside. The trees were so tall and green, and the water in the lakes would sparkle in the sun. I had a very special job. I loved taking care of little animals that needed help. If I found a baby squirrel or a little bird that was lost, I would bring it home and make sure it was safe and warm. Being kind to every living creature was very important to me. It made my heart feel full and happy. The world is a beautiful place when we are kind to everyone and everything in it.

When I grew up, I got a job that took me far, far away to a place called Alaska. It was very different from sunny Florida. In Alaska, there were giant, giant mountains covered in soft, white snow. They looked like they were sleeping under a big white blanket. And there were trees everywhere. So many green pine trees, millions of them. They stood up so tall and proud. When I looked at the big mountains and the happy trees, I felt so peaceful. I wanted to remember that feeling forever. So, I got some paint and a brush, and I started to paint pictures of what I saw. I would paint every chance I had, even on my lunch break.

I loved painting so much that I wanted to show everyone how to do it. So, I had my very own TV show called 'The Joy of Painting'. I wanted to teach you that you can be an artist, too. Anyone can. My secret is that we don’t make mistakes when we paint. Oh no. We just have happy little accidents. A little smudge here or a drip there just helps us make something new and beautiful. After many years of painting happy trees, I grew older and my time on Earth was done. But you can still paint what is in your heart. You just need a brush and a dream.