The Joy Of Painting

[soliloquy]

Does anybody watch The Joy of Painting, BBC Four, Monday to Thursday, 7.30 p.m.? It's a relaxing half-hour watching this artist create a landscape. He doesn't try to be a comedian, he just concentrates on his picture and explains what he is doing.

[allenlondon]

Bob Ross helped thousands of people to make pictures, and find great joy in doing so.

For that, he should be blessed.

[Old_Geezer]

Don't catch the TV showings, but there's plenty on YouTube anyway. Other artists too.

[AuntPollyGrey]

// Bob Ross helped thousands of people to make pictures, and find great joy in doing so./

I'm not doubting that, nor am I saying he's a bad person. I'm saying I think his paintings are dreadful and amateurish, and, as all Art is Subjective, I have the right to my opinion.

[Old_Geezer]

I think his style made decent enough paintings, and were something the average bod could aspire to achieving, given the original to guide them.

[tiggerblue10]

We all have our likes and dislikes. Personally I like Monet but couldn't get into Picasso. Although I do like Dali.

[allenlondon]

Auntie. Agree, ish. I don't subscribe to the view that all art is great, some is greater than others, etc.

I think there is wonderful art, and there is tat. Bob Ross's is tat, but his giving enjoyment and indeed joy to thousands by saying 'look, you can do this!' is praiseworthy.

[Mozz71]

Caught up on a couple of episodes last night (It's a great wind down show before bed)

A lot of the efforts do seem to be fairly amateurish, but I think it's worth remembering that these are knocked up in a half hour show. A full landscape in the time most of us would struggle to do a decent pencil sketch.

Apparently the fella used to film an entire series of the show over a few days. The beauty of the series is in the title. It's not about how good you are, it's about how much joy it gives you.

[Theland]

What do you all have hanging on your walls?
Sunflower copies maybe?

[lady-janine]

I think Mr Ross paints for the chocolate box manufacturers. But that is just my opinion. If people enjoy doing that then good.

Theland - apart from various ceramic pieces I have original seascapes and nudes on my walls.

[Mozz71]

//What do you all have hanging on your walls?
Sunflower copies maybe?//

Copies? How dare you, you philistine! Only the originals in this house :-D

[Theland]

Dare I ask? Politely? How much do you pay for your art?
(Ouch!)

[allenlondon]

John Berger (so much missed) pointed out that once coloyr printing and reproduction had achieved current levels, there was no longer any quantifiable difference between an original and a print.

Except, of course, for the price... the price of everything, the value of nothing.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Allen 10. 18

Valid points. Perhaps by setting the bar really low he inspired those to give it a try, who may not have taken up painting :-)

[TrevorThePug]

I enjoy watching Bob. It’s not really about the end result but the process and his hints and tips have no doubt begun many on their artistic journeys.

You are not forced to watch it or buy his paintings, but he does (did) indeed enamour the joy of painting, even with his happy little accidents.

[AuntPollyGrey]

His happy little accidents caused by the amount of weed he smoked lol!

[lady-janine]

Paintings and sketches at local art show are not expensive. I have a number of unframed ones and it will cost me more to get them framed than it was to purchase.

[allenlondon]

Yes indeed Aunt, a very low bar.

But the joy, the pleasure his acolytes found, now that is a higher bar.

A

[Mozz71]

//Dare I ask? Politely? How much do you pay for your art?
(Ouch!)//

To the nearest million?

(I'm kidding, I tend to only have photos up)

[Mozz71]

Hard to imagine that in a former life, Ross was a airforce drill instructor.

[10ClarionSt]

I've watched Bob Ross for many years. He actually died of Lymphoma in 1995. He was criticised by many people in the art world for the nature of his paintings, in that he painted mainly from the imagination. They said you should paint what you see. But he said that those people missed the point. He was trying to show people how to paint a picture. What you paint is up to you. If you listen to him he always says in his programmes that "it's your world. You paint what you wish".

Nancy Komynski created her works mainly by sole use of pallete knives. Well, she did on the programmes I remember. She made some really great still life creations. You can still watch her on You Tube.

And don't forget Alwyn Crawshaw. His medium was water colours. He showed you how to use the brushes and various techniques of blending and mixing along with drawing techniques. His wife used to paint with him in many programmes.

I think any of them were advocating their particular method as the one to use. They were just trying to get people to "have a go", as crawshaw used to say. If they acheived that, then they were successful.