More than three decades after his passing, beloved artist and public television icon Bob Ross continues to captivate audiences worldwide through his timeless paintings and gentle teaching philosophy. In response to Congress rescinding $1.1 billion in allocated funding for public broadcasting this fall, Bob Ross Inc. has stepped forward with an innovative solution to help bridge the financial gap by auctioning 30 of the late artist's original paintings. The first three works are scheduled to go under the hammer tomorrow, marking the beginning of what organizers are calling an unusual but heartfelt pledge drive for public television.
The paintings being auctioned represent just a small fraction of the estimated 30,000 works Bob Ross created during his lifetime, many of which gained fame and significant value through his iconic television program "The Joy of Painting." Currently stored in a warehouse in Northern Virginia, these artworks have remained largely hidden from public view until now. The popular show, which originally aired from 1983 to 1994, featured Ross's signature wet-on-wet painting technique and his soothing, encouraging voice guiding viewers through step-by-step artistic creation.
"My mom took a class with him when he was nobody and she thought he was so remarkable that she went home at night and told my dad we need to help this guy because he's really amazing," explained Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc. The company was founded in 1982 by Ross himself, along with his wife and Joan's parents, Annette and Walt Kowalski. Since its establishment, the organization has remained committed to preserving and promoting Ross's artistic legacy through various merchandise and educational materials bearing his name and image.
The decision to auction Ross's paintings came to Kowalski during a moment of late-night inspiration after Congress called back the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's funding in July. "In the middle of the night, when I was sleeping, it just occurred to me, Bonhams had auctioned off a couple of Bob's paintings that were privately owned and they raised a lot of money," Kowalski recalled. "And I thought we could do something like that. And then the funds from those auctions will then trickle down to all the local TV stations." The auction house Bonhams will handle the sale of these carefully selected works.
Kowalski spent weeks carefully choosing which paintings would generate the most interest and funding for public broadcasting. "It took me a couple weeks to decide which were just the best paintings," she noted while packing some of the artworks for shipment to the auction house. The selection process was strategic, focusing on pieces that would resonate most strongly with collectors and Ross enthusiasts. According to their appraiser, the paintings most likely to command high prices are those that Ross actually created during his televised episodes, allowing buyers to own a piece they can watch being created stroke by stroke.
The choice to specifically support public television holds deep personal significance, as it represents Ross's professional home and the platform that launched his career. "It's where Bob started," Kowalski emphasized. "He was fiercely devoted to public television. He loved the way it was set up, where it's really just him and the viewer. Honestly, if he had been here, it would have been his idea, I think." This connection to public broadcasting runs through the core of Ross's artistic mission and teaching philosophy.
Born in 1942 in Daytona, Florida, Bob Ross developed his love for the natural world at an early age. His artistic journey began in earnest while serving as a young airman stationed at an Air Force base in Alaska, where he first learned to paint the stunning beauty of the landscape surrounding him. During this time, he discovered and perfected his signature wet-on-wet painting technique, which utilizes layers of wet paint to create soft blending, bleeding, and diffusion of colors. This method became central to his teaching approach and the foundation of his artistic philosophy that anyone could learn to paint.
In 1982, driven by his passionate belief in making art accessible to everyone, Ross recorded the first episode of "The Joy of Painting" at WNVC, a public television station in Falls Church, Virginia. Over the following 12 years, he produced more than 400 episodes, each featuring his distinctive soft-spoken guidance and encouraging words as he led viewers through the creative process. His soothing voice and step-by-step instruction method, combined with his iconic permed hairstyle, eventually transcended public television to become a cultural phenomenon, even inspiring parodies in shows like "Family Guy."
Mark Boultinghouse, an appraiser of art and antiques who works closely with Kowalski, believes the collection could generate substantial funds for public broadcasting. "This is a man who's got a voice of a God who can paint little happy trees and make you smile. And it translates to his art," Boultinghouse observed. When asked about expected proceeds from the 30-painting collection, he estimated the auction could raise as much as $5 million, basing his projection on recent market performance, particularly a previous Bonhams auction where one Ross painting sold for $118,000.
One hundred percent of the net proceeds from these auctions will be donated directly to support local PBS stations, enabling them to continue broadcasting beloved programs such as "America's Test Kitchen," Julia Child's "French Chef" classics, "This Old House," and both the original and remake versions of "The Joy of Painting." This comprehensive support will help ensure that educational and cultural programming remains accessible to communities across the nation despite the federal funding cuts.
The paintings selected for auction include works that have never been publicly displayed, adding to their appeal among collectors and Ross admirers. Kowalski was particularly careful to choose paintings that Ross actually created during his television episodes, allowing future owners to watch archival footage of their specific artwork being created. "You will have a painting hanging on your wall and you will be able to see Bob painting it stroke for stroke," she explained, highlighting the unique connection between the physical artwork and its documented creation process.
Reflecting on how Ross himself might have reacted to this auction, Kowalski believes he would have found the situation both amusing and touching. "I think he would have been kind of giggling. I don't think he realized that his paintings would ever become this big of a deal," she said. "He was more interested in the process of painting. So the idea that we're all hovering around his paintings would crack him up, I think. He would be laughing." This perspective captures the humble nature of an artist who was more focused on teaching and sharing joy through creativity than on commercial success or artistic fame.
