The Joy of Collecting Bob Ross Paintings

Known as much for his laid-back demeanour, gentle encouragement, and calming presence as he is for his art, Bob Ross brought the art of landscape painting into living rooms across the world for over a decade – and 30 years after his show left the airwaves, his art is enjoying a resurgence in popularity and setting records at auction.

For many people around the world, Bob Ross was a gently encouraging voice who taught millions to paint on his show The Joy of Painting, until his death from lymphoma in 1995 at the age of 52. Often produced live on-air within the time constraint of a single episode, his paintings are today synonymous with accessible, meditative art, and are increasingly coveted by collectors.

Back in the days of appointment television in the 1980s and 90s, Ross’s warm whimsy and reassuring tone made him essential comfort viewing. “Every day is a good day when you paint,” he would say, and “We don’t make mistakes. We just have happy accidents.”

For the 11 years he hosted The Joy of Painting from 1983 to 1994, he is thought to have painted around 1,143 original works for the series, yet relatively few have circulated on the open market. Over the past year or so though, that has changed, and a surge in his popularity has helped three paintings sold by Bonhams go for over $600,000 in November 2025.

About 30 of his paintings, which he mostly created on-air on The Joy of Painting were auctioned by Bonhams in Los Angeles in November, with more auctions to follow in London, New York, Boston and online to help support public television stations that have faced government funding cuts.

Ross’s art wasn’t especially progressive, particularly fashionable, or even technically challenging, but that was exactly the point. It was art that was in reach of people who wanted to pick up a paint brush and express their creativity on canvas. Ross was a catalyst for countless aspiring artists, speaking directly to viewers and encouraging them to paint his idealized scenes of mountains, waterfalls, rustic cabins, and an evergreen tree in the foreground.

He touched millions of lives with his attitude and persona, as he tutored the public and filled them with the belief that they too could be artists. And so, 30 years on from the final episode of The Joy of Painting, his appeal at auction endures.

Auctioned to help support public television stations that have seen $1.1bn worth of funding allocated to public broadcasting wiped out by congress, leaving around 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations to discover another source of income, the recent auctions have provided a boost to the mammoth task.

With estimates for the three original paintings ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, Winter’s Peace (1993) defied expectation to sell for $318,000, while Home in the Valley (1993) sold for $229,100 and Cliffside (1990) achieved $114,800.

Confidence in Ross’s paintings at auction has surged following the sales in August 2025 of Lake Below Snow-Capped Peaks and Cloudy Sky (1990–91) and Lake Below Snow-Covered Mountains and Clear Sky (1990–91) for $114,800 and $95,750, respectively. Both paintings outpaced expectations and prompted Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross, Inc. to list 30 estate-owned paintings to capitalize on his popularity.

In fact, it’s been a year of milestones for Bob Ross paintings, as in November 2025, late-night comedian John Oliver’s benefit auction attracted 35 bids for Ross’s Cabin at Sunset (1987), which sold for an incredible $1.04 million, according to Variety. Typically for Ross, the rural scene was painted in the second episode of the 10th season of his now classic television series, and features a small, rustic hut set amid rolling hills, pine trees, and an illuminated sky.

Quiet Appeal

Ross learned to paint his now famous wet-on-wet technique from a close friend during his 20 years in the air force. Also known as alla prima, the technique involves applying wet paint directly onto wet paint, which allows for smooth blending and creates vibrant colors. Both of which would become hallmarks of Ross’s trademark style.

Spread over 31 seasons and 403 episodes, the last episode of the Joy of Painting’s aired in 1994, which at its peak attracted more than 80 million viewers and enshrined Ross as a household name to a generation in the U.S. And in recent years, his calm and unruffled demeanour has been introduced to a new generation.

The documentaries, Bob Ross: The Happy Painter (2011) and Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021), and the film Paint (2023) starring Owen Wilson (which drew comparisons to Ross) returned Ross to primetime screens. And younger audiences were further exposed to Ross online, where he has more than 6 million YouTube subscribers, a million friends on Facebook, and over 575,000 on Instagram.

It was during lockdown in 2020 though that returned Ross to the small screen with repeats of The Joy of Painting. Drawn to his soothing approach to painting, his relaxed demeanour was an antidote to the unusual stresses of the time, as he once again encouraged audiences to pick up a paintbrush, in between baking batches of sourdough bread and enjoying long walks.

This revival has also led to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History acquiring four paintings by Ross for its Entertainment Nation exhibition in 2022, and London’s Design Museum featuring works by Ross in its WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD: The World of ASMR exhibition in the same year.

“Every day is a good day when you paint”

“We have avoided painting for so long because I think all of our lives we’ve been told that you have to go to school half your life, maybe even have to be blessed by Michelangelo at birth, to ever be able to paint a picture,” Ross said. “And here, we want to show you that that’s not true. That you can paint a picture.”

Resonating for his warm, supportive manner, Ross was an uplifting presence in front of a canvas, who wanted nothing more than for people to discover the true meaning behind the title of his show. “Talent is a pursued interest,” Ross says on one show. “In other words, anything you’re willing to practice, you can do.”

Buoyed by a resurgence in popularity, the value of his art has seemingly caught up to align with the level of affection Ross is afforded by fans, even 30 years after the final episode of The Joy of Painting, as his artwork continues to surpass auction estimates and attract million dollar bids.

Ross is a figure of great affection. Whether that’s for the soothing sound of his voice, the nostalgic appeal of his show, his warm encouragement as a teacher, or for the kitsch appeal of his painting, it doesn’t seem to matter. And while his art might not decorate the annals of history, his teaching, encouragement, and supportive demeanor will live far longer.