Bob Ross is the most popular painter and art teacher for several decades. His TV show The Joy of Painting is instructional, an art show where he describes and teaches since 1980 is popular even nowadays, 20 years after his death. Many painters find the answers and inspirations in this virtual school kind of show. If you continue to read this article you will find everything about this enthusiastic painter, his life, career, and the net worth.
Early Life & Biography
Ross was born and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida in the US, on 29th October 1942. Besides his parents, Jack and Ollie Ross he had a half-brother called Jim. Ross`s father was a carpenter and after Ross left the school he helps Jack in the carpentry business where he lost a portion of his finger in the accident with the table saw.
He was a big fan of animals, and his pet squirrel Peapod was the guest star of some episodes of his TV show. In childhood, his favorite animals were snakes, alligators, and armadillos.
Personal Life
Bob married three times in his life, first in 1965 with Vivian Ridge. They have a son called Steven. He has also gift for painting, and we had a chance to see him in some of the episodes of the TV show, alongside with his dad. After the divorce with Vivian in 1977, Bob married Jane the same year. In 1992 Jane Ross died of cancer and after three years he married Lynda Brown. This marriage lasts only for two months and then the famous painter died. The cause of death was lymphoma.
Career, Awards & Nominations
When he turned 18, he joins the US Air Force army as a medical technician and for 20 years of the servant he becomes a first sergeant. In his free time, he painted a lot, and sale his arts. When he attended painting classes he immediately realized that those classes do not teach students how to paint.
He wanted to do something about that because he was enthusiastic with Bill`s Alexander TV Show The Magic of Oil Painting. Bill was teaching Alla Prima painting style and Bob mastered this style in his paintings. He earned a huge sum of money selling these paintings. Soon he becomes a part of the Bill`s Alexander painting company.
He was advisedthat he can make his own company with the funds from Annette Kowalski, his wife and himself. When he gains the fame with the TV show everything was paid. The TV show The Joy of Painting was aired on the PBS channel from 1983 to 1994.
His fortune, fame, and success came from there, and then he was selling the painting, tutorial books at full speed. He even makes a specific painting class technique Bob Ross Method. The PBS Stations is now the owner of all paintings that were left after Bob`s death.
The Net Worth & Earnings
At the time of his death, his net worth is estimated at $6 million. The money was gathered from selling his paintings, instructional books, and TV show. In the beginning, he struggled a lot, but at the end fortune, fame, and success came.
He was 52 when he died of lymphoma on July 4, 1995. We will always remember this gifted painter because he was a brilliant and dedicated teacher of art. His contribution is great in the art world.
