Kristin G. Congdon - Happy Clouds, Happy Trees: The Bob Ross Phenomenon

I love Bob because he was sincere.
KENNY SCHARF, artist

Bob Ross represents the kitsch that is America, and in so doing became the everymans Sunday painter. He took art to the masses, and like Andy Warhol, was set on the democratization of imagery. Both Bob and Andy became just as recognizable as the art they produced, and I dare say that their hair had a bit in common as well: big and bold.

ERIC C. SHINER, director of the Andy Warhol Museum

Even now, years after his death in 1995 Bob Ross may still be the most famous artist on the face of the earth. His purpose was as much to massage souls as it was to teach painting.

MICHAEL KIMMELMAN, author and art critic for the New York Times

Paintings should always be magic and there was a moment in any of the Bob Ross TV shows where something appeared from nothing and that was like pure thrilling magicplus he had the most consistently relaxing voice to nap to; when he was dabbing one could doze perfectly and dream well.

BILL ARNING, executive director at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Bob acted like what he did was super simple and made you think that anyone could do it. He was a holy man.

LARRY MO VIOLETT, agricultural inspector and artist wanna-be

Bob Ross, with his awesome Afro, snowcapped mountains and magic white, will live on forever in my memory.

CHARLES M. BLOW, visual op-ed columnist for the New York Times

Thanks to Bob Ross, I met lots of new friends and learned the joy that showing someone how to paint in this basic wet on wet oil painting style brings.

DAVY TURNER, the Painterman and retired utility company worker

Bob Ross was the first man to softly sensualize nature for me. Every time he asked me if I could feel the soft mountain tops or the wispy clouds, I felt soothed by him and I could feel them all, the purple and red mountain ranges, the chartreuse clouds, the hot pink trees with the dark orange shadows.

KIM HOLLEMAN, artist and creator of Trailer Park: A Living Mobile Public Park in a Trailer (If you cant go to the park, this park can go to you!)

Im sure most of us visual artists, a generation of artists in fact, were in some way, large or small, influenced in our formative years by this iconic pop-artist.

AARON JASINSKI, artist, quote from http://screamingskygallery.com/index.php?id=220

Probably without even knowing it, Bob Ross was a model for art as a therapy. Ross encouraged the viewers, with an attitude of you can do this too, allowing the viewer to feel that they too can be an artist.

MELISSA DIAZ, art therapist and installation artist

I remember watching The Joy of Painting as a teenager. Bob Ross gave me the confidence to study art and pursue it as a viable career. He was the master of his technique and made painting look easy.

PETE HALVERSON, book designer and artist

HAPPY CLOUDS, HAPPY TREES

The Bob Ross Phenomenon

Kristin G. Congdon, Doug Blandy,
and Danny Coeyman

www.upress.state.ms.us

Designed by Peter D. Halverson

The University Press of Mississippi is a member of the Association of American
University Presses.

All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an
editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of
infringement of the trademark. The publisher and the authors make no claims to any
material owned or trademarked by Bob Ross, Inc.

Copyright 2014 by University Press of Mississippi
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America

First printing 2014
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Congdon, Kristin G.
Happy clouds, happy trees : the Bob Ross phenomenon / Kristin G. Congdon, Doug
Blandy, and Danny Coeyman.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61703-995-9 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-61703-996-6 (ebook) 1. Ross, Bob, 19421995Psychology. 2. Ross, Bob, 19421995Appreciation. 3. Art teachersUnited StatesPsychology. 4. ArtistsUnited StatesPsychology. 5. Art and societyUnited StatesHistory20th century. I. Title.
N89.2.R67C66 2014
759.13dc23 2013033562

British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

To all those who dare to paint
And to Bob, with thanks

Chapter 1.
Introduction: The Bob Ross Phenomenon

Chapter 2.
Rob Ross, Birth to Death

Chapter 3.
Promising Joy: Bob Ross as Artist and Teacher

Chapter 4.
Bob Ross as Shaman

Chapter 5.
Bob Ross as Media Star

Chapter 6.
Bob Ross as the Best-Known Teacher Alive

Chapter 7.
Assessing Bob Rosss Paintings and His Approach to Art

Chapter 8.
The Bob Ross Network

Chapter 9.
Bob and Andy

Chapter 10.
Thomas Kinkade Is No Bob Ross

Chapter 11.
The Art World in the Midst of Bob Ross

Chapter 12.
Bob Rosss Legacy

This book has been a joy to write. It started as an idea in 2004 and grew from there. When we first discussed the idea with Craig Gill from the University Press of Mississippi, he expressed his support and enthusiasm. Our sincere gratitude goes to Craig Gill and Anne Stascavage at the press and to Karen Johnson for her astute copyediting. Thanks to Karen Keifer-Boyd, who used the Internet to publicize our presentation (Congdon and Blandys), The Bob Ross Phenomena, at the 2005 National Art Education Association Conference. From her posting, we met Davy Turner, the Painterman, a Bob Ross fan from England, who patiently encouraged us to finish this project as he continuously fed us useful information. We salute you Davy. We thank others who have openly expressed their admiration for Bob Ross and their experiences with him: June Wozniak, Dave Wenzel, Doris Young, Scot Kaplan, and Aaron Jasinski.

We also appreciate those who have given us permission to reproduce images: The Andy Warhol Foundation, Scott Guion, Betty Ford-Smith, Aaron Jasinski, and Davy Turner.

We would also like to express our personal thanks to several individuals in our lives who have offered us inspiration and support:

From Kristin G. Congdon: My sincere appreciation and love goes to my husband, David Congdon, who helped me play with ideas expressed in this book and picked up so many of my everyday responsibilities when I was busy writing. I also credit Stephen Goranson, a librarian at Duke University, who often quickly checked facts and helped with details. Thanks, brother. Thanks to my sister Zoe Goranson and her husband, Tom Fisher, who made the connection with June Wozniak and encouraged her to speak with me. And to other friends, family members, and students who took the time to explore Bob Ross, sharing in his joy, you have my gratitude.

From Doug Blandy: I am grateful to the graduate students and faculty associated with the Arts Administration and Folklore Programs at the University of Oregon who either shared in my curiosity about Bob Ross and the phenomenon that he inspired or provided valuable insights into how to approach the phenomenon. I also acknowledge the importance of my mother, Lula Blandy, in cultivating in me a love and appreciation for popular culture in its many and varied manifestations. The loving support of my wife, Linda Beal Blandy, sustains me through the commitments necessary to completing projects such as this one. For this support I am grateful.