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Viewers have come to love the calming cadence of his low voice – akin to the babbling streams he smeared across his webs – his permed hair and denim jeans wardrobe. The Florida-born painter ran the PBS show from 1983 to 1994 before dying of lymphoma at age 52.
But a new Netflix documentary, “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed,” looks set to shocks the idea that Ross’ story was straightforward, teasing a more complex side of his life in the title and trailer.
Steve Ross (left) is one of the main accounts in the new Netflix documentary. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
In a time when viewers and viewers cherish the good guys – Mr. Rogers, Tom Hanks and the fictional Ted Lasso – while expecting our idols to fall, this kind of cropping can create some unease. Ross’s name still carries cultural capital two decades later because of his apparent goodness – embodied in his message that “we don’t make mistakes, we have happy accidents.” His optimism continued even as he publicly addressed the death of his wife, Jane, on the show and during his own cancer diagnosis.
“Despite how difficult things can get at times, he just had this amazing ability to connect with whoever was watching,” Netflix documentary director Joshua Rofé said in a telephone interview.
Beneath the surface
So what could possibly be lurking beneath the surface of Ross’ generous facade? In the end, probably nothing that would undo the beloved artist. Although Rofé delves into some private areas of Ross’s life – particularly his alleged marital transgressions – the real microscope is on Annette and Walter Kowalski, the painter’s longtime business partners who co-founded Bob Ross Inc. and were involved. in extensive legal battles against the estate of Ross and his family over the rights to the artist’s image.
The documentary’s narrative unfolds through the accounts of Ross’s son, Steve, and others close to him. But Rofé said he didn’t know where the story would lead at the start.
“The Joy of Painting” aired for a decade, encouraging people to harness their creativity and take risks. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
“We started contacting people who knew (Ross), people who worked with him. And two things came up every time,” Rofé said. “One was that they all loved him and missed him… (but) they were all afraid to speak publicly about Bob for fear of some sort of legal retaliation or retaliation from an entity. that they wouldn’t name. “
“I really wanted to know why,” explained Rofé. “And I wanted to understand what was going on in Bob’s life outside of those 30 minutes of the show that were so peaceful and calming to watch.”
“He was not perfect”
The documentary dates back to the beginning of Ross’ career, when the Kowalskis discovered him showing painting techniques in various shopping malls. They quickly teamed up with him to bring his techniques to American salons.
Ross was not the first artist to paint on television. He had actually studied under Bill Alexander, who had his own PBS show “The Magic of Oil Painting”. Alexander taught Ross the wet-on-wet technique that allowed him to complete a painting in the span of a half-hour television episode (and which, centuries earlier, had allowed Claude’s vaguely painted lilies to be Monet and the dark and royal silhouettes of Diego Velasquez).
It is estimated that Ross painted approximately 30,000 works during his lifetime. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
When “The Joy of Painting” debuted in 1983, it was shot in the Kowalski house against a black background. Ross recorded several episodes per day. During the show, he hosted regular guests, including his son, coined his slogan “happy little trees” and left viewers with sultry instructions for “making love” with their brushstrokes and wise advice explaining that being an accomplished painter is not It is not an inherent talent, but something acquired through practice. (“Trees cover a multitude of sins,” he also offered)
“He wasn’t perfect; he absolutely had flaws,” said Rofé. But, the director added, “I think there’s something about that… decency you get from him. And we’re all really hungry for that. And we need it.”
Today, amid an abundance of merchandise and longing for Bob Ross, Rofé believes his life story has been carefully curated by those who now control his legacy.
“The information that is circulating about Bob, for the most part, is largely that put forward by Bob Ross Incorporated. They are basically the controllers of Bob Ross’s name and image,” Rofé said. “Once we finally found people who were willing and courageous enough to tell their story, we started to find out a lot more.”
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