Update For 2021 The Paintings Have Been Found
After trying to buy an original Bob Ross painting NY Times reporter Aaron Byrd tried to get to the bottom of the mystery of the missing paintings. Trying to understand how the most iconic television painter of all time can create several thousand paintings, only for none of them to end up on the internet proved to be quite the task.
The NY Times compiled their journey to find the missing paintings into this nice little 10 minute YouTube video. Check out the second website thats visible at timestamp 0:34
How To Verify If You Have A Real Bob Ross Painting
The best way for you and me to have a Bob-Ross-Style painting on your wall is to grab your brushes and paint it yourself. Get yourself one of the many Bob Ross Painting Kits , take a few hours out of your day, relax with Bobs calming voice and create your own little paradise on canvas. Nobody who ever tried painting with Bob regrets it.
And who knows, maybe one day your own paintings will sell for several hundred dollars on eBay or hang in galleries on their own.
If you think you have an original Bob Ross painting or are about to buy one, you can send a mail to info@bobross.com and ask them to verify if it was really done by Bob Ross himself.
How Many Bob Ross Paintings Are There
As of March 5th, 2022, at the Bob Ross Art Workshop & Gallery in New Smyrna, Florida, there were 54 paintings for sale by Bob Ross Inc. There were another 27 paintings for sale at Minnetristas Bob Ross Experience in Muncie, Indiana.
A book version of Blue Ridge Falls and three versions of On a Clear Day exist at the Smithsonian. Before the donation to the Smithsonian Museum, Bob Ross Inc estimated 1,165 artworks in BRI storage as per the 2019 New York Times article.
Blue Ridge Falls,On a Clear Day,For BookFor ShowFor Annette
There were three versions of every painting, one for the show, one for the book, and one for Annette. At 381 episodes in which he painted, multiplied by three for his process, thats 1,143 paintings from the show, with 22 outliers based on the BRI estimate.
In 2019, a journalist for the New York Times, Aaron Byrd went on a mission to purchase an original Bob Ross for his brother. He couldnt find one so much so that he wrote an article about it with three other journalists.
If he started painting at 18 years old and passed away at 52, then thats 34 years of painting.
If in the 1991 New York Times interview, he had in fact painted 30,000 pieces of art at that point in his life, then thats 937 paintings per year. Lets say he painted for another four years, then thats about 34,000 paintings!
originals by Bob Ross potentially out there in the world,
which, coincidentally must be verified by Annette Kowalski to be deemed original.
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Bob Ross Original Painting Gold Pan Signed Certified Authentic Rare Coa 1of1
Kowalski, who is an expert with intimate knowledge of Bobs painting techniques, believes this painting was made around 1971 making it some of his earliest known work. Included with the artwork itself is a Certificate of Authenticity from Annette Kowalski, Bob Ross Inc founder, which has accompanying gold foil seals from Hahnemuhle FineArt . Finally, a Letter of Authentication from Vault Authentics along with registration on their website to further attest to the documentation and trust of this original Bob Ross work. He developed an interest in painting after attending an art class at the USO and honed his style by watching the TV show The Magic of Oil Painting with William Alexander, a popular public broadcast figure at the time. Bob would leave the Air Force after a 20 year career in hopes of pursuing art full time.
While instructing a painting class at a hotel conference room in Clearwater, FL, Ross met Annette Kowalski who would go on to be his lifelong business partner and manager. Soon after, he was introduced to PBS and the rest was history. Bob would eventually replace William Alexander, the host that inspired him years earlier and produce over 400 episodes of The Joy of Painting. Over the years Bob brought painting to our TVs and made millions of inspired living room artists around the world.
You can readily find artwork in the market for other American pop icons such as Andy Warhol. We encourage you to do your research, Bob Ross art just does not come along.
Most Expensive Bob Ross Paintings Ever Sold
| Art
Bob Ross was an instructor, painter, host, and army veteran who used his love of Alaska and low-key speaking to bring his personality to the world. His show, The Joy of Painting, where he showcased his work by teaching the audience how to do it themselves, ran from 1983 to 1994.
However, his international stardom did not come until after he died, when the rise of Twitch and YouTube brought new attention to his show, along with new standards of programming that welcomed his relaxing vibe. While most of Bob Rosss 30,000+ paintings are not available for purchase, some have trickled into circulation.
Continue reading to learn about the 9 most expensive Bob Ross paintings that you can buy.
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Bob Ross The Art Of Chill Board Game
Did you know a Bob Ross board game existed? Well, if you didnt, youre in for a treat. Bob Ross the Art of Chill is a fun tabletop game that can be played by 2-4 people. Your objective is to finish one of Bob Rosss artworks using brushes and colors from your hand of cards to win the coveted Chill status. The more things you paint, the more chill points you earn!
Find it online here.
Bob Ross was a legend in every sense of the word. Even after his death in 1995, he remains one of the best-known American painters today. Many people have taken on the quest of hunting down an authentic Bob Ross painting, only to be overwhelmed by the price or end up empty-handed. If you do intend on buying one in the future, make sure you have big bucks to shell out and ask the seller for a Certificate of Authenticity.
But if you can recreate one for yourself, even better. Rosss whole shtick was encouraging people to make their own art, not spend hours and dollars trying to buy his art. Gather the confidence to pick up a brush and a palette today.
As Bob Ross would say, All you need to do is just practice a little.
Whats Steve Ross Bob Ross Son Doing Now
The original heir of Bobs namesake, Steve Ross is following his path in line with his first appearances along with his father. He shares the art of painting with people, who at first, believe they cannot paint, and with his help, discover they can.
He and his partner, Dana Jester hold 7-day workshops at $125/day/person on the 15th-century old painting technique, Alle Prima, widely used by Van Gogh, who as great artists do, probably got the idea from someone or something else.
As of June 19, 2022, Steve Ross is not affiliated with Bob Ross Inc and does not have any percentage ownership of the Bob Ross name. He did not learn of the amendment and release to the intellectual property rights until 20 years after it had been documented.
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Row Boat On The Beach
Price:
photo source: Modern Artifact
The most expensive Bob Ross painting is Row Boat on the Beach. The unframed dimensions of the painting are 24 x 18, making it another of Rosss rare vertically oriented works. The painting was done in oil on canvas and features a row boat padding to shore on a sunny day with reeds and sand visible in the foreground.
This painting, featured in Season 24, Episode 10 of The Joy of Painting, allowed Bob to spend special attention to the way the sunlight illuminates the clouds and how to stipple the edge of the waves of the tides to get that white foam.
This painting sold on Modern Artifact for $95,000, making it the most expensive Bob Ross original currently out there.
Legal Battles Surrounding His Namesake
Upon his death in 1995, a grey cloud of disputes arose around rights to his namesake and work produced under Bob Ross Inc, with his partners ex-CIA Walter Kowalski and fellow artist, Annette Kowalski.
The legal battle and conflicts centered around all facets of products and services associated with Bob Rosss name.
- Art classes and workshops
- Bob Rosss voice: calm.app
- Video, TV show rights, and all artwork created on the show, The Joy of Painting
- All intellectual and physical property associated with the show, and allegedly all other ancillary services and revenue
- The Bob Ross Youtube Channel
- www.bobross.com
- Bob Ross Inc Painting Supplies and Merchandise.
www.bobross.com
Two years after the death of Bob Ross, Jim Cox, Bob Rosss half-brother, signed over all rights to end ongoing legal battles in 1997. There is no information on if there was a monetary exchange in the settlement.
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Bob Painted Thousands Where Are They
It is rumored that during his lifetime Bob created over 30.000 paintings. What happened to them all? Why is it so hard to find an original Bob Ross painting on sale? Here is what Bob said about some of them:
Read until the end to see our update for 2021 and find out where the paintings are!
One of the questions that I hear over and over and over is, What do we do with all these paintings we do on television? Most of these paintings are donated to PBS stations across the country. They auction them off, and they make a happy buck with em. So if youd like to have one, get in touch with your PBS station, causewe give them to stations all over the country to help them out with their fundraisers.
What happened to the other thousands of paintings Bob did outside of the TV show isnt known, but if youre lucky and look hard enough you might come across an eBay listing like this:
So, an original Bob Ross for sale might cost you a few thousand dollars, but at least there is free shipping! This particular painting also includes a letter from the original owner who used to be stationed with Bob in the US Air Force Base in Alaska.
How To Buy A Bob Ross Painting
Everyone that painted along with Bob Ross knows the wonderful feeling of creating something out of thin air, hanging it on the wall, and have people marvel at your talent. While nothing can match the almost therapeutic buzz you get from painting your own masterpieces a lot of us have thought about buying an original Bob Ross painting.
Contents
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The Artistically Beautiful Life Of Bob Ross
He found his love of painting potentially in an art class at a United Service Operations hall in Alaska. Throughout all the media available on Bob, one can observe a certain quality: a willingness and true desire to share the joy of self-expression. There are videos and books of abounding numbers, all of which communicate the same quality of the love of art.
Where Are All The Bob Ross Paintings We Found Them
Bob Ross painted more than 1,000 landscapes for his television show so why are they so hard to find? We solve one of the internets favorite little mysteries.
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Where Else Can I Buy A Bob Ross Painting Aside From Ebay
Theres no other way to say this but: You cant.
Aside from those sold in auctions years past, almost every Bob Ross painting to exist now lives in a Bob Ross Inc. warehouse in Herndon, Virginia. Theyre not on display, but carefully stacked in numbered cardboard boxes all the landscapes, snow-capped peaks, and happy little trees. Wed wager there are enough lakes, mountains, and happy little trees in Bob Ross Inc. for it to be designated a national park.
No one knows why they dont want to sell the paintings, but it probably has to do with the fact that Bob Ross never really wanted his artworks to be capitalized on. He only wanted recognition for his talent, and he achieved that with his TV program. If he were alive right now, its highly unlikely that hed approve of his paintings being sold at thousands of dollars.
Why Are Bob Ross Paintings So Hard To Find And Buy
Weve never really talked about it .
Jane Kowalski, Bob Ross Inc
After the airing of the Netflix Documentary: Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, and Greed and the launching of the Bob Ross channel on Twitch in 2021, Bob Ross became an international icon, with brand recognition reaching its height.
Demand for his work must have gone through the roof.
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Are There Potentially 34000 Bob Ross Paintings In The World
Once in a while, a talented, prolific person pops up out of nowhere and produces thousands of masterpieces in their lifetime Bob Ross is one of those individuals. Bob Ross could paint an Alla Prima wet-on-wet painting in 28 minutes AND he did three versions for over 380 episodes of The Joy of Painting.
Bob Ross Interview, The New York Times
Bob Ross painted for the show, The Joy of Painting, without charging for his time. The Joy of Painting ran on PBS from 1983 to 1994, and his income came primarily from Bob Ross Inc., selling art supplies and how-to videotapes, and teaching classes. He could record an entire 13-episode season in just two days, with three versions of each painting designated for each of 381 of 403 episodes.
The Famed Tv Artist Was One Of Historys Most Prolific Painters But Youre Not Likely To Find His Work On The Open Market
Bob Ross is not a hard man to find.
Though he died in 1995, the late TV painter remains an omnipresent cultural staple. His Chia Pet perm, nap-inducing voice, and meme-worthy sayings Happy little trees! have transcended time. On , old episodes of his show, The Joy of Painting, boast ~450m views.
Online, you can acquire Bob Ross paints, Bob Ross brushes, Bob Ross underwear, Bob Ross coffee mugs, Bob Ross energy drinks, Bob Ross watches, and Bob Ross toasters.
But theres one thing you wont often see for sale: his artwork.
During his lifetime, Ross produced tens of thousands of paintings. Yet, only a handful of his works have popped up for sale in recent years. When they do appear, they often fetch $10k+ and attract dozens of bids.
Why is the work of one of historys most prolific and accessible artists so scarce on the open market?
To find out, I spoke with art gallery owners, auctioneers, art collectors, ex-colleagues who worked with Ross, and the president of Bob Ross, Inc. the company that preserves his legacy.
The man behind the canvas
Born in Daytona, Florida, in 1942, Ross dropped out of school in 9th grade to work with his father, a carpenter.
At 18, he joined the Air Force and moved to Alaska, where hed spend the next 20 years as a drill sergeant, screaming at recruits. He was such a hard-ass that he earned the nickname Bust em up Bobby.
But his life changed when he discovered art.
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New Age New Age: Strategies For Survival
It’s no “happy little accident.” Paintings by Bob Ross and Manet appear together in this Chicago art exhibit:
- Title:New Age, New Age: Strategies for Survival – Bob Ross is one of the artists whose paintings are included in this exhibition
- Venue: DePaul Art Museum, 935 W Fullerton, Chicago, IL 60614
- Dates 25th April – 11th August 2019
- DePaul Art Museum Guide: New Age, New Age: Strategies for Survival: Overview
New Age, New Age: Strategies for Survival presents works by twenty-seven artists whose works appropriate, critique, or embrace New Age aesthetics and concerns from a 21st-century perspective.
Add four Bob Ross paintings to your summer plans! Four paintings created by Bob Ross for his program, The Joy of Painting, are on display now through August 11 at the @DePaulArtMuseum in Chicago. Bob Ross Official 6 June 2019
The Joy of Painting
Paintings by the storied TV painter Bob Ross have made their institutional debut at the DePaul Art Museum in Chicago. “Put aside your prejudices of Bob Ross and think of him as a true artist.
- In 2014, the blog FiveThirtyEight conducted a statistical analysis of the 381 episodes in which Ross painted live, concluding that 91 percent of Ross’ paintings contained at least one tree, 44 percent included clouds, 39 percent included mountains and 34 percent included mountain lakes. Wikipedia
- he had a number of catchphrases – notably happy little trees
Did You Know You Can’t Buy A Bob Ross Painting
Bob Ross Inc.The Joy of Painting
- one before the show – as a reference
- one during the show – in 26 minutes flat. Sometimes he introduced last minute improvisations.
- one after the show – for use in the “how to” instruction books
According to an analysis by the website FiveThirtyEight, Mr. Ross painted in 381 of the 403 episodes of the show . If three versions were made of each of those paintings, at least 1,143 originals would exist. Bob Ross Inc. estimates that it has 1,165 paintings stored on site. New York Times
The New York Times set out to solve the big mystery of why you cannot buy a Bob Ross and wanted find out how many paintings there wereThe Smithsonian offered to take some of his paintingsSmithsonians National Museum of American History
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