Bob Ross painting workshop sparks joy

Even 30 years after the legendary painter and TV personality’s passing, Bob Ross continues to foster joy in students at WSU Vancouver through his painting tutorials.

On Sept. 5, art club ArtX held a Bob Ross workshop, an event that welcomed students of all experience levels to follow and paint along with a classic tutorial video by the man himself. Event organizers supplied paints, brushes, canvases, paper, water cups, palette knives, palette paper, and paper towels for participants, as well as an assortment of snacks and drinks.

In the video, Ross walked through the process of creating snow-capped mountains, shimmering water and a thick mist, all by using simple brush strokes. His commentary on creating landscapes in this style and breaking it down into steps made an initially unintuitive process seem very simple, one of many reasons for Ross’ lasting appeal.

The video was occasionally paused to allow time for participants to catch up if they fell behind, a helpful and beginner-friendly approach for many. While following along with the painting tutorial was the primary activity of the event, the supplies provided were also freely available for those looking to engage in their own art projects.

While I was creating my own painting, I couldn’t help but notice the calming atmosphere in the room, for the most part simply due to the laid-back nature of the activity and the warm and comforting nostalgia evoked from seeing and hearing Bob Ross on the screen. Music was also played between video clips which added to the mellow feel of the workshop and made it easier to relax and get comfortable in a ‘flow state’ while painting.

The most enjoyable part of the workshop, however, was the activity of engaging in a creative project among others. While painting along with the same tutorial, each person created something entirely unique. The low stakes, accommodating environment of the event made it feel accessible for everybody as a space to explore creatively and an opportunity to connect with others and share joy.