Bob Ross

Hello there, my name is Bob Ross, and I believe everyone has a little bit of artist inside them. When I was a boy growing up in Florida, my backyard was my favorite place to be. It was filled with all sorts of amazing animals and tall, green trees. I loved listening to the quiet whisper of the wind through the leaves. I tried to be friends with every creature I met, from squirrels to snakes. I even brought a little alligator home once and let him swim in our bathtub for a while. He was my special guest. Being surrounded by nature made me feel calm and happy, and I knew from a young age that the world was a beautiful place full of wonderful things to see.

When I grew up, I joined the Air Force. It was a big adventure that took me far, far away from sunny Florida to a place called Alaska. I had never seen anything like it. There were huge, snowy mountains that looked like they touched the sky. They were covered in millions of tall pine trees that stood so straight and proud. My job in the Air Force was very serious, and sometimes I had to be loud, but in my heart, I was still that quiet boy who loved nature. To feel calm, I started painting during my breaks. I wanted to capture all the beauty I saw right outside my window. I painted the giant mountains and put happy little trees all around them. One day, I met a wonderful teacher named Bill Alexander. He showed me a special trick for painting called 'wet-on-wet.' It was like magic. It let me finish a whole painting in just thirty minutes. I could paint a whole world in the time it took to eat lunch.

After I left the Air Force, I knew I wanted to share my love of painting with everyone in the world. So, I started my very own television show called 'The Joy of Painting.' I wanted to show people that they could paint, too. I had a very important rule on my show: there are no mistakes, only 'happy accidents.' If a little paint dripped, we would just turn it into a happy little bird. I spoke in a soft, gentle voice because I wanted my show to be a calm and peaceful place for you. You might remember my big, fluffy hair that looked like a cloud. My greatest wish was to help people believe in themselves. I passed away on July 4th, 1995, but my paintings of almighty mountains and happy little trees are still out there, reminding everyone that you can create any world you want, right on your own canvas.