The Joy of Painting

The Joy of Painting
Starring	Bob Ross
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	31
No. of episodes	403
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	PBS
Original release	January 11, 1983 – May 17, 1994
Chronology
Related shows	The Magic of Oil Painting
External links
Website

The Joy of Painting was an American half-hour instructional television show hosted by painter Bob Ross which ran from January 11, 1983, until May 17, 1994. In each episode, Ross taught techniques for landscape oil painting, completing a painting in each session. The program followed the same format as its predecessor, The Magic of Oil Painting, hosted by Ross's mentor Bill Alexander.

Broadcast by non-commercial public television stations, the show's first season was in 1983, and initially produced by WNVC in Falls Church, Virginia, then by WIPB in Muncie, Indiana, from 1984 until the show ended in 1994, and later by Blue Ridge Public Television in Roanoke, Virginia. Most of the series was distributed by what is now American Public Television.

Each 30-minute show usually begins with Ross (or a guest) standing in front of a blank canvas against a white or black background. Guests included Ross's long-time friend Dana Jester, along with Ross's son Steve, his old instructor John Thamm, and many others. Within the 30-minute program, Ross painted an imaginary landscape, using the wet-on-wet oil painting technique, in which the painter continues adding paint on top of still-wet paint rather than waiting for each layer of paint to dry. Combining this method with the use of two-inch and other types of brushes, as well as painting knives, allowed him to paint trees, water, clouds, and mountains in a matter of seconds.

Each painting would start with simple strokes that appeared to be nothing more than colored smudges. As he added more and more strokes, the blotches transformed into intricate landscapes. As he painted, he instructed viewers regarding the techniques he was using, he added comments describing the "happy little clouds" and "happy little trees" that he was creating. He would also mention snippets of his own life, including his military career and the time he spent in Alaska, family anecdotes, and his affection for small animals, which he raised and set free. The show would occasionally feature a video of Ross with a baby squirrel, deer, raccoon, or another small animal. Each program was shot in real time with two cameras: a medium shot of Ross and his canvas, and a close-up shot of the canvas or palette.

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Wikipedia