Interesting Facts About the Famous Painter Bob Ross
There is very little known about the talented painter Bob Ross. Famously known for his key phrases, such as ‘happy little cloud’ or ‘happy little tree’. Surprisingly, he was a very private man with a background story one would never expect to hear. Ross was born in Daytona Florida in 1942. His father was a carpenter and his mom was a waitress. As a child he was an avid animal lover and cared for every sick animal he came across. Eventually Bob quit school in the 9th grade to work alongside his dad as a carpenter.
At the age of 18, he changed his career and joined the Air Force which relocated him to Alaska. One of the few times Bob Ross was interviewed, he opened up about how he didn’t like the job because it forced him to be mean. He developed a reputation among his subordinates as a ball-buster from always yelling. Which in turn earned him the nickname “bust ’em up Bobby”.
During his 20 years in the military he attended an art class which instilled the love of painting into him. He was of course a natural and seemed to always be at odds with the instructors. He went on to eventually quitting the Air Force because he made more money from painting and giving art lessons.
Bob Ross’s painting technique is known as wet-on-wet painting. It is a process of applying wet paint in layers onto a canvas. He did come under hard times financially at the pursuit of a business venture that ended up losing money in the first year of operation. Ever wondered why he sported the iconic afro? Ross decided to perm his hair to save money due to funds being tight. He later admitted he grew to hate the style.
Eventually Ross ended up on PBS with his own show, ‘The Joy of Painting”. The show was a vehicle to promote his business, which eventually made him a millionaire. He never actually got paid to do the show and gave away most of the pieces he painted on the show. Being a humble man, he did not seek out recognition for his work. He ended up passing away at the age of 52 from Lymphoma.
Bob Ross will certainly go down in history as one of the greatest painters of our time. The skill and the beauty that he used with every painting was unmatched. He truly was an amazing artist.
WATCH: The Private Life Of The Painter Bob Ross
credit: YouTube
