You may remember the painter Bob Ross from his famed PBS show or his portrayals in pop culture. But, do you know the story of how he came to be the permed happy painter we know and love today? In recent years, he has ascended to internet fame. But why? What makes his legacy so enduring? How is it that he is still spreading joy to this day?
Bob Ross is best known for his perm, his PBS painting show, and for the “happy little trees” that adorn his landscapes. Just a few seconds watching any of his show episodes can leave any of us feeling a sense of calm, bliss, and happiness.
Perhaps it’s this feeling, one we rarely get from TV anymore, or our own nostalgia about his work that has caused this explosion in his popularity over the years. Or maybe it’s in the way he encourages us to see mistakes as happy accidents and to do what makes us feel happy. Whatever the reason, Bob Ross continues to captivate audiences with his own kind of magic.
