The very first TV painting by American painter Bob Ross, called A Walk in the Woods, has sold for $9.8 million at an auction in Minneapolis.
The painting, which is housed in the Modern Artifact art gallery, went to an anonymous buyer. It was the first of more than 400 paintings that Ross created, painting them in just 30 minutes.
Ross, who was played by Owen Wilson in a recent film, created his oil painting depicting an autumnal scene with a pond in the woods, along with his signature transcribed in red in the lower left corner.
Ryan Nelson, the gallery’s owner, said he acquired the painting from a lady who worked on his show and decided to buy it after the episode was taped.
“What this piece represents is the people’s artist. This isn’t an institution that tells you Bob Ross is great.
“There are over 350,000 searches on Google for Bob Ross every month,” Nelson said.
Ross’s very first painting, “A Walk in the Woods,” sold for $9.8 million to an unknown buyer in Minneapolis
In his how-to videos, he provided step-by-step instructions that came together with simple tools and the same colors of paint every week
According to ArtNews.com, many of the pieces were donated to the Smithsonian Museum, to various PBS member stations, or preserved by Bob Ross, Inc.
Nelson bought the painting last year and subsequently gave it a “not for sale” price of $9.85 million, publicist Megan Hoffman said.
The late painter died in 1995, but made a huge impact on the art community with his soothing voice, guiding viewers through a journey of peace and tranquility.
He hosted the show from 1983 to 1994 and in each episode he spoke directly to viewers who he encouraged to paint along with him as he created idealized scenes of streams backed by mountains, waterfalls and rustic cabins and mills – all done very quickly.
Ross’s PBS series aired for a total of 31 seasons and 403 episodes, and in its very first episode, he invited viewers to find the “artist hidden at the bottom of each of us.”
In his how-to videos, he provided step-by-step instructions that came together with simple tools and the same colors of paint every week.
‘There’s no secret to this. Everyone can paint. All you need is a dream in your heart and a little practice,” Ross said in his first episode.
Ross’s look has also become iconic in its own right, as he stood tall with his perm-like hair, mustache, beard, big glasses and button-up shirts.
Although his artworks are well known, they can be extremely difficult to obtain, so when they do sell it is no surprise that they sell for a big penny.
The oil painting showed an autumnal scene with a pond in the forest, along with his signature transcribed in red in the lower left corner
Ross painted ‘A Walk in the Woods’ in just 30 minutes. He painted all his pieces in a short time
Actor Owen Wilson played Bob Ross in the film ‘Paint’ which can be viewed on AMC+ or Prime Video
Owen Wilson channeled his inner Bob Ross in a comedy film called Paint, which was released in April.
The film itself followed Carl Nargle, played by Wilson, who is “convinced he has it all: a signature perm, a custom van, and fans watching his every move—until a younger, better artist takes it all ( and everyone) steals what Carl loves,” according to IMDb.
According to ArtNews.com, many of the pieces were donated to the Smithsonian Museum, to various PBS member stations, or preserved by Bob Ross, Inc.
At the time of his death, Ross was worth an estimated $10 million, and today, with inflation, he is worth $19.8 million. Daily Express.
Hoffman said Ross’ popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, with 5.63 million subscribers to a YouTube channel featuring his shows.