Who is
Bob Ross??
Ross utilized the wet-on-wet oil painting technique, in
which the painter continues adding paint on top of still-wet
paint rather than waiting a lengthy amount of time to allow
each layer of paint to dry. From the beginning, the program
kept the selection of tools and colors simple so that
viewers wouldn't have to make large investments in them.
Ross frequently recommended odorless paint thinner (aka
odorless mineral spirits) for brush cleaning. Combining the
painting method with the use of one- and two-inch brushes as
well as painting knives allowed Ross to paint trees, water,
clouds, and mountains in a matter of seconds. Each painting
would start with simple strokes that appeared to be nothing
more than colored smudges. As he added more and more
strokes, the blotches transformed into intricate
landscapes. Ross dedicated the first episode of the second
season of The Joy of Painting to William Alexander,
explaining that "years ago, Bill taught me this fantastic
[wet-on-wet] technique, and I feel as though he gave me a
precious gift, and I'd like to share that gift with you [the
viewer]".
Ross
noted that the landscapes he painted—typically mountains,
lakes, snow, and log cabin scenes—were strongly influenced
by his years living in Alaska, where he was stationed for
the majority of his Air Force career. He repeatedly stated
on the show his belief that everyone had inherent artistic
talent and could become an accomplished artist given time,
practice, and encouragement, and to this end was often fond
of saying, "We don't have mistakes here, we just have happy
accidents."
Ross was well known for other catch phrases he used while
painting as he crafted "happy little trees." In most
episodes of The Joy of Painting, he noted that one of his
favorite parts of painting was cleaning the brush,
specifically his method of drying off a brush, which he had
dipped in odorless thinner, by striking it against the
thinner can and easel. He would smile and often laugh aloud
as he "beat the devil out of it." He also used a palette
that had been lightly sanded down, which was necessary to
avoid catching the reflections of strong studio lighting. At
the end of each episode, Ross was known for saying, "so from
all of us here, I'd like to wish you happy painting, and God
bless, my friend."
When asked about his laid-back approach to painting and
eternally calm and contented demeanor, he once commented: "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."...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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