Thirty paintings from Bob Ross, the television art tutor known for his soothing voice and bushy hair, will soon be auctioned to help cover the costs of public programming, following major federal funding cuts.
Throughout the 1980s and ’90s, Ross became the familiar face of “The Joy of Painting,” the PBS series where he peacefully encouraged viewers to paint landscapes under his gentle direction. Most of the paintings set for auction were created on air during the TV show.
Ross “dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone,” Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., said in a statement. “This auction ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”
The move comes after the Trump administration’s $1.1 billion cut in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — which left roughly 330 PBS stations in need of alternative funding.
Bonhams Auction House in Los Angeles will begin the auction on Nov. 11 with three of Ross’ paintings. More auctions will follow in New York, Boston, London and online, per The Associated Press.
All proceeds will go to American Public Television to fund program distribution for local public TV stations nationwide, particularly in rural areas. Some of these programs include “America’s Test Kitchen,” “Julia Child’s French Chef Classics” and “This Old House.”
Ross, who hosted “The Joy of Painting” for 11 years, was not paid by PBS for the show, he told the Orlando Sentinel in a 1990 interview. Instead, he made money selling his own how-to books, videotapes and art supplies.
“People see you on television and they think you make the same amount of money that Clint Eastwood does,” Ross told the Orlando Sentinel in a 1990 interview. “But this is PBS. All these shows are done for free.”
Ross, who died in 1995 of complications from lymphoma, created more than 30,000 paintings during his lifetime — roughly 1,143 of which were done for the filming of the show, per NPR.
While painting landscapes live during 30-minute segments, Ross spoke with the audience using signature phrases such as creating “happy little trees” and reminding viewers, “We don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.”
In August, two of Ross’ works were sold at an auction for far more than expected. “Lake Below Snow-Capped Peaks and Cloudy Sky” sold for $114,800 and “Lake Below Snow-Covered Mountains and Clear Sky” made $95,750, per the New York Post.
“I can tell you that Bob would have been quite shy to learn that his paintings are now selling at six figures,” Kowalski told the Post following the August auction.
“He was never really that interested in his finished works, Bob was more fascinated with the process of painting and sharing that with other people.”
She added, “Truthfully, I can still hear him saying something like, ‘You don’t want my paintings, you want to create your own and hang them proudly on your wall.’”
The upcoming auction of Ross’s 30 painting is valued at $850,000 to $1.4 million, Bonhams said, per AP.