But Bob used more than just words to show people what is possible. For example, in one of the episodes of The Joy Of Painting, he shared how, after encountering a colorblind fan, he decided to make a painting using only grey and white, showing that you don’t need to see colors to be able to create art. Scroll down to read the full story!
The joy of art comes from enjoying the process, and Bob Ross gave his all to show people that it’s a lot easier than it may appear
Bob Ross first captured the hearts of the people of the world when his wholesome painting show began airing in 1983
Even though Bob Ross sadly passed away nearly three decades ago in 1995, today, he is still far from being forgotten. This man, who seemed to have had no enemies during his life, doesn’t appear to have any haters after his departure either. And it doesn’t take long to realize why.
Bob was best known for his show, The Joy Of Painting, which ran for 31 seasons from 1983 until 1994. On the show, he painted the most wonderful landscapes in under half an hour and instructed people on how to do the same. But it wasn’t just painters who watched his show; his endless calm and optimism mesmerized nearly everyone who came in contact with him.
During one of his exhibitions, the painter encountered a fan who told him that he could never paint because of his colorblindness
“I think each of us, sometime in our life, has wanted to paint a picture. I think there’s an artist hidden at the bottom of every single one of us,” said the painter during the first few seconds of the very first episode of his show. He wanted to teach people how to bring out that artist from within and show them that it’s much easier than it appears.
Bob believed that anyone could paint, so he wholesomely decided to prove his fan wrong and make an entire episode in which he painted a picture using only the shades of gray
He once again proved that he was true to his beliefs when, less than a year later, he bumped into a fan who opened up to him, saying that he could never paint because he was colorblind and could only see the tones of gray.
Not long after this encounter, Bob created an episode titled Shades of Grey. He began by sharing that same story and followed it up with, “I thought, today, we’d do a picture in gray, just to show you that anyone can paint.”
Now, many years after the show’s episode first aired, it has resurfaced online, and people are just as happy to see it as they were back then. The commenters were all praising Bob for what a treasure he was, some reminiscing over the old days when they first encountered his shows, while others pondered how such a wholesome man could’ve ever been a fearsome master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.
“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents,” said the universally loved painter Bob Ross on numerous occasions. Even those who have never watched his show have probably heard of these words, as his positive outlook on life has inspired millions of people around the world, helping them pursue painting and other dreams they first deemed out of reach.