Spectators came to adore the soothing cadence of his low voice, resembling the stammering streams that splashed over his canvases, his hair, and his wardrobe of jeans. The Florida-born painter directed the PBS program from 1983 to 1994 before dying of lymphoma at the age of 52.
But a new Netflix documentary, “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, and Greed,” seems to end the idea that Ross’ story was simple, provoking a more complex side of his life in the title and trailer.
Steve Ross (left) is one of the main accounts of the new Netflix documentary. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
At a time when TV and movie viewers love likeable guys (Mr. Rogers, Tom Hanks, and the fictional Ted Lasso) while waiting for our idols to fall, this kind of rethinking can create discomfort. Ross’ name still has cultural capital two decades later because of his apparent kindness, characterized by his message that “we make no mistakes; we have happy accidents.” His optimism continued even when he publicly addressed the death of his wife, Jane, on the show and during his own cancer diagnosis.
“Despite the difficulty of things at times, I just had this incredible ability to connect with who I was watching,” Netflix documentary director Joshua Rofé said in a phone interview.
Below the surface
What, then, might be hidden beneath the surface of Ross’s fine façade? It turns out there would probably be nothing to nullify the beloved artist. While Rofé delves into some private areas of Ross ’life, in particular his alleged marital transgressions, the real microscope is in Annette and Walter Kowalski, the painter’s longtime business partners who co-founded Bob Ross Inc. extensive legal battles against Ross’s estate and his family for the artist’s image rights.
The narrative of the documentary is developed through the stories of Ross’ son, Steve, and others close to him. But Rofé said he did not know where the story would lead at first.
“The Joy of Painting” was aired for a decade, encouraging people to take advantage of their creativity and take risks. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
“We started contacting people he knew (Ross), people who worked with him. And two things came up each time,” Rofé said. “One was, everyone loved him and missed him … (but) everyone was afraid to speak publicly about Bob for fear of some kind of legal retaliation or retribution from an entity they wouldn’t call.”
“I was really looking forward to finding out why,” Rofé explained. “And I wanted to understand what was going on in Bob’s life outside of those 30 minutes of the show that was so peaceful and soothing to watch.”
“It wasn’t perfect”
The documentary dates back to the beginning of Ross’ career, when the Kowalskis discovered him demonstrating painting techniques in different malls. They soon partnered with him to bring his techniques to the salons of Americans.
Ross was not the first artist to paint on television. In fact, he had studied with Bill Alexander, who had his own PBS program “The Magic of Oil Painting.” Alexander taught Ross the wet-wetting technique that allowed him to complete a painting in a half-hour television episode (and that, centuries earlier, had allowed Claude Monet’s painted lilies and Diego Velásquez’s shadows and gift figures ).
It is estimated that Ross painted about 30,000 works during his lifetime. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
When “The Joy of Painting” debuted in 1983, it was filmed at the Kowalskis ’house on a black background. Ross recorded several episodes a day. Throughout the show, he welcomed the regular guests, including his son, coined the slogans of the “happy little trees” and left viewers with sensual instructions to “make love” with his brushstrokes and wise advice that explained that being a complete painter is not Not an inherent talent, but something gained through practice. (“Trees cover a multitude of sins,” he also offered)
“It wasn’t perfect; it had absolutely flaws,” Rofé said. But, the director said, “I think there’s something in this … decency you get from him. And we’re all very hungry for it. And we need it.”
Today, amid a plethora of products and nostalgia for Bob Ross, Rofé believes the story of his life has been carefully curated by those who now control his legacy.
“The information there is about Bob, for the most part, is very much what Bob Ross Incorporated offers. They are essentially the drivers of Bob Ross’ name and image,” Rofé said. “Once we finally found people willing and brave enough to say their work, we started to know a lot more.”
Add to the queue: happy little trees
This book reconsiders the picturesque Kinkade field paintings, repositioning the artist, whose work has often been labeled as kitsch, as a major influence on contemporary art and one of the most collected artists in the United States.
The Art History Babes uses their podcast to discuss everything from erotic art history to “bad baroque boys.” In this episode, they have nostalgia for their favorite Bob Ross moments.
If Ross had been a millennial instead of a boomer, he probably would have had a YouTube channel. Now, there are artists like Kevin Hill, who offers tutorials on painting cozy farmhouses and snow-capped mountains to hundreds of thousands of spectators.
“How often do a deciduous tree and a conifer appear in the same box (Bob Ross)?” You may never have wondered, but FiveThirtyEight reporter Walt Hickey analyzed the paintings from the 403 episodes of “The Joy of Painting” to find out.