Happy Little Trees

Even though I think of myself as an artist I've always had an irrational dislike of painting and drawing. I don't know why that is and I never fully examined it. I prefer things like printmaking, sculpture, or fibers. I always thought that I was somehow painting and drawing retarded.

(Bob Ross photo from Wikipedia.)

In art school I had a painting teacher that was pretty good. Though, he had issues with Bob Ross, the pleasant hippie who had a how-to painting show on PBS. Sometimes while we were working on our painting of the moment this teacher would rant and rail about Bob Ross and how he doesn't teach art but instead teaches something one step beyond paint by numbers. That is, anyone can make a painting if they just follow what Bob Ross does and there is no creativity involved.I've had other teachers make fun of Bob Ross in class, but this guy really couldn't let it go.

At the time I thought it was funny and went along with it, because the teacher did have a point.Though, now I realize it is up to the individual and once you paint a Happy Little Tree (as he called them) you can take those skills and do something else with them.

I grew up watching Bob Ross and my brother and I always joked  about his approach.This morning I saw a fun tribute remix that PBS posted and I watched it. I realized that the main thing about Bob Ross is that he is happy, he loves his art, and he is easygoing about his work. Make a mistake? Don't worry, just take your paint brush and turn it into something else. Enjoy what you are doing. This philosophy is the complete opposite of what I've experienced in the art world--you must have passion and conviction and drive and give what you are doing great importance. I don't care about that anymore. Maybe now is the time in my life to visit the "Easy does it" ideas of Bob Ross.

Also, for your viewing pleasure, the PBS remix.