For over three decades, artist Bob Ross captivated viewers with his soft demeanor and positivity toward his passion: painting. Ross painted  mainly realistic landscapes, as opposed to the popular abstract style of modern art. Ross is most well-known for his television program, The Joy of Painting, which first aired in 1983 and continued until 1994, a year before his death to lymphoma in 1995.

Many students, such as junior Andrew Millsap, see Ross as a beacon of relaxation, peace, and happiness. For Millsap, Ross is the key to staying relaxed during stressful times at school or at home.

“When I get stressed, I like to watch Ross’ show, Beauty Is Everywhere, while wearing my favorite Bob Ross shirt,” Millsap said. “His quiet and calming voice really puts me at peace.”

Despite his passing over 20 years ago, Ross has continued to stay relevant in modern pop culture. Comedic imitations of Ross’ likeness have been included in many television series, such as Family Guy and The Boondocks. In late 2015, popular internet livestream platform, “Twitch,” hosted a nine-day marathon of The Joy of Painting that was watched by nearly six million unique viewers as a part of the launch of Twitch Creative. In June 2016, all 25 episodes of Ross’ nearly identical, but lesser-known series, Beauty Is Everywhere, were added to the Netflix streaming catalog.

Although he is well loved by fans and amateur artists, Ross is not well-received by other professional artists.

“A lot of people don’t think that he is a real artist because he is sort of a sell-out, but I like him,” Xavier art teacher Mrs. Stephanie Wendt said. “I think he has worth

while technique for new painters to learn basic skills.”

Keaton Maier

A&E Writer