Let it happen
October 23, 2015 7:19 AM   Subscribe

Need to slow down? Here is the very first episode of The Joy of Painting, in which Bob Ross encourages viewers to take a walk in their own happy little woods. (SLYT)
posted by swift (36 comments total) 24 users marked this as a favorite
 
Sometimes Bob Ross gets a bit TOO real about life.
“I will cut you!”
posted by Fizz at 7:26 AM on October 23, 2015


Happy trees!
posted by cuscutis at 7:32 AM on October 23, 2015


Previously (now a dead link): the first 19 seasons (247 episodes) available to download from Archive.org, and more.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:37 AM on October 23, 2015


Compare to his replacement.
posted by anotherpanacea at 7:42 AM on October 23, 2015


All the noise in the background of that first episode...sounds like they're still building the tv studio around Ross.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:44 AM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]


years spent as a Panzergrenadier in the Waffen-SS
I.... what. Is my humor/sarcasm-meter broken this morning?
posted by specialagentwebb at 7:58 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


years spent as a Panzergrenadier in the Waffen-SS
I.... what. Is my humor/sarcasm-meter broken this morning?


Bob Ross Military career wiki.
posted by Fizz at 8:01 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


I knew that he was a sergeant in the air force, just couldn't parse the Nazi angle(??). I think I'm gonna come back to this thread after I've had some more coffee.

Personal favorite Bob Ross episode is the one he made in response to a colorblind guy telling Ross he wished he could paint. Shades of Grey.
posted by specialagentwebb at 8:07 AM on October 23, 2015 [10 favorites]


The patron saint of ASMR.
posted by Tanizaki at 8:07 AM on October 23, 2015 [4 favorites]


Bill Alexander
posted by pracowity at 8:10 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]




My kids love Bob Ross. I periodically wonder what an original Bob Ross goes for, and then I look and realize I can't afford art, but I still check now and then anyway.

For what it's worth, this makes for fantastic kids' viewing; watching the painting slowly materialize, along with the regular, gentle reassurance that you can do it too is pretty great.
posted by mhoye at 8:22 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


Man, PBS used to love painting shows as much as they love cooking shows and british programming now (which has probably peaked now that they are airing the british baking show).

I could never justify the cost of the materials to do my own, nevermind the price of any Bob Ross originals.
posted by mattamatic at 8:33 AM on October 23, 2015


Bob Ross, God's gift to stoners.
posted by Gordafarin at 8:35 AM on October 23, 2015 [3 favorites]


(Oh man. $10k or more, on those rare days they show up on Ebay? My god.)
posted by mhoye at 9:15 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


I cannot even imagine the nexus of niceness that a Bob Rogers appearance on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood would have resulted in. No sarcasm: Bob Ross was/is one of the greatest human beings.
posted by maxwelton at 9:25 AM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]


specialagentwebb: "Personal favorite Bob Ross episode is the one he made in response to a colorblind guy telling Ross he wished he could paint. Shades of Grey ."

At 09m00s: "There's no big secret to it. All you need is a dream in your heart. And an almighty knife."
posted by chavenet at 9:27 AM on October 23, 2015


Bob Ross Military career wiki.

For years I've had this memory of an episode where he briefly mentioned it--how he used to be a soldier and was angry all the time, and basically just decided one day to let it all go and paint happy little trees instead. I've never been able to find any reference to this online and was kind of wondering whether I'd just imagined the whole thing.
posted by dephlogisticated at 9:36 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


Okay, this has been bugging me for the longest time. When I was a kid, I remember watching Ross's painting show (on PBS I believe) simply because it came on directly adjacent to another painting show that was all about sci-fi awesome stuff. Space cities in FUTUREDOMES and all sorts of Roger Dean style fantasticness. Does anyone remember what that show was?
posted by FatherDagon at 9:36 AM on October 23, 2015


Don't forget your almighty easel! Ya gotta love this guy. He was my morning coffee for years.
Very zen.
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 9:42 AM on October 23, 2015




Bob Ross Military career wiki

That aspect about his life has always been what makes his calm, easy demeanor feel so honest and authentic, and not just an affectation or somehow insincere. The fact that he was required to be "the mean, tough guy" as part of his job and did his job well enough to be promoted through 8 ranks, and when that attitude was no longer required of him, vowed to be (and succeeded, it seems) the kind of person he wanted to be, is more admirable in many ways than someone who has always been of a gentle nature.

As a teenager several of my friends and I studied martial arts to varying degrees and Bob Ross was an example that several of the teachers referenced when explaining to their students about self-control, discipline, and non-violent conflict resolution. With new students that often come in with the idea they are there to learn how to fight, it's sometimes hard to explain the idea that while you may know all sorts of ways to fight, the most important is how to avoid it in the first place. Sure, they had all seen the old Kung Fu TV episodes and knew the idea of avoiding conflict until absolutely necessary, but they often didn't 'get it' until they were shown an example that made them really think about it. One of the best example was Bob Ross.

The teachers would say things along the lines of "Bob Ross can out-fight you, is probably a better shot than you, and can yell at and berate you so well you'll probably cry, but he chooses not to apply those skills on anyone. Why? He understands the consequences and effects of his actions, both to himself and to others. He has the control and discipline to not just have those skills, but to know when they should be used and what happens when you use them irresponsibly."
posted by chambers at 10:18 AM on October 23, 2015 [7 favorites]


I've often said that one of my goals for retirement is to spend a lot of it doing Bob Ross paintings. But maybe I need to make that more of a current goal. Happy little trees.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:25 AM on October 23, 2015


Okay, this has been bugging me for the longest time. When I was a kid, I remember watching Ross's painting show (on PBS I believe) simply because it came on directly adjacent to another painting show that was all about sci-fi awesome stuff. Space cities in FUTUREDOMES and all sorts of Roger Dean style fantasticness. Does anyone remember what that show was?

Maybe you're thinking of "Secret City" with "Commander" Mark Kistler
posted by briank at 10:50 AM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]


This show is such a mindfuck, in the best possible way. I guess it's because he just paints whatever comes to mind, but my mind is a very different place than Bob Ross' mind. You start out like, ok, so I guess you're painting the sky, but it looks kinda weird. Why'd you put green in there? Did you mean to do that? Then, BAM! The sky is beautiful and perfect.

Then he starts putting a whole bunch of giant trees all over the place, and you're like, NO! Now we're not going to be able to see the beautiful sky you just made! These trees don't even look very good Bob! And he proceeds to put all these different layers on the trees, and you're like, eh, I guess they look better now, but I really don't see where you're going with all this. This is a strange painting. But then he puts that last layer on and, BAM! The trees are beautiful! Even better than the sky!

And then he does it again with a lake. And a trail. And...and...and... By the end, you've totally given up trying to predict what he'll do next, because every time you think the painting just couldn't look any nicer, he adds some little twigs or whatever, and proves you wrong.
posted by gueneverey at 10:51 AM on October 23, 2015 [12 favorites]


Hey You, yes you. Can you paint? then you can become a Bob Ross painting method teacher! For only $375.00 (or $395.00 it mentions both on the same PDF) You too can spread the joy of painting.
posted by Gungho at 10:57 AM on October 23, 2015


No lie: Learning to draw with Commander Mark made me wonder why more of us don't wear jumpsuits that have lots of pockets for pens and whatnot. I'd put Gizmonics Institute on mine and everything.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:01 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


Gotta love this

GLENGARRY, BOB ROSS.

...You see this painting? This painting costs more than your car. You see pal, that’s why I’m who I am, and you’re nothing. You’re a nice guy? I don’t give a shit. Good at sketching? Then turn your TV off and go sketch. This is The Joy of Painting, not Needledicks That Love Sketching....
posted by artdrectr at 11:06 AM on October 23, 2015 [5 favorites]


years spent as a Panzergrenadier in the Waffen-SS

Strength through Joy of Painting?
posted by a halcyon day at 12:55 PM on October 23, 2015


SECRET CITY SHIT YES THAT IS IT

shivering christ that had been itching my brain for like twentyfive years
posted by FatherDagon at 1:12 PM on October 23, 2015 [3 favorites]


Obligatory link to this wonderful MetaFilter comment comparing Bob Ross and that Kinkade guy.
posted by JanetLand at 2:38 PM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]


I love that Bob Ross Inc is now starting to upload so many episodes to YouTube. For a long time any clips of Bob would get taken down rather quickly. Amazon Prime currently has three seasons of Joy of Painting streaming right now, too!

I've done quite a few paintings learning solely from Bob Ross and Willaim Alexander videos. Many of them ended up in the trash before I finished them, a few are on the walls in our home. The few that I gave to family members are hanging in their homes. It's an amazing feeling going to someone's house and seeing something you painted on their wall! They'll never be inside a museum (unless I smuggle one in) but that's ok :)
posted by I_Zimbra at 2:42 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


The only thing that disappoints me about him is that that's a perm (done because it was cheaper than haircuts), not his natural hair. Other than that, Bob Ross rules!
posted by easily confused at 5:51 AM on October 24, 2015


He was a Druid.
posted by clavdivs at 1:14 PM on October 24, 2015


I don't know if anyone is still following this thread, but Twitch.tv is adding a creative side to their service, allowing people to stream the creation of songs, paintings, and even computer games.

To celebrate this, for the next 8 days, they'll have a marathon of the complete Joy of Painting, starting in about 30 minutes, here. Given the length, it's ok if you don't catch it today, the complete series will take over a week to stream.
posted by zabuni at 1:28 PM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]


Okay, I have been riled. I now groan, growl and snarl, and then will go back to sleep in my cave.

Bob Ross, while he had been in the US Air Force, was not a Nazi or, as has also been rumored, a sniper. I hate rumors like this, like the one that Mr. Rodgers was in the marines. The people who spread them tend to think they say something about the nature of man, that the nicest people in the world will have hidden darkness within them, and thus tend to spread them without investigation.

Also, SECRET CITY OMG THAT SHOW WAS AWESOME

Okay, back to the cave, there's a long winter ahead of me.
posted by JHarris at 4:08 PM on October 30, 2015


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