If I were to ask you about Bob Ross, you might initially be confused about who I'm talking about. However, if I mentioned the painting instructor with the huge afro from PBS, you'd definitely know who I'm talking about. Bob Ross is one of those guys that everybody knows without knowing it. He spent his career teaching children and adults alike the wonderful world of painting, and taught that it's okay to make mistakes! But there's much more to this happy man than meets the eye.
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1. He created thousands of paintings – literally.
He estimated that he'd made about 30,000 oil paintings throughout his life!
2. He donated most of his paintings.
He sold his projects earlier on in his career, but later on in life he decided to use the profits to help PBS stations.
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3. He was incredibly fast when it came to his work.
How fast? Well he used to tape an entire season's worth of shows in a matter of two days.
4. He was in the army.
Before becoming the painting icon, Ross was a Master Sergeant in the Air Force for 20 years.
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5. He wasn't always so nice.
Being so high up in the military, Ross was often the guy yelling at his troops to scrub toilets and do pushups. It's hard to imagine right?!
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6. When he left the military, he vowed to never shout again.
So that's why he's so nice!
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7. He was influenced to paint after being stationed in Alaska.
He was truly amazed by the beauty of the Alaskan mountains and snowy climate.
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Bob's the best isn't he?!
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8. He lost a finger!
Bob worked as a carpenter earlier in his life and actually lost a good chunk of his left index finger while working!
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9. He loved animals.
He loved featuring animals on his show and often donated to animal charities throughout his career.
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10. He only permed his hair to save money.
After spending years in the army, Ross decided that it would be financially smart to perm his hair and limit the amount of times he needed to visit a barber.
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So smart!
11. He actually didn't like the afro though...
By the time he could afford to get steady haircuts, his afro had become so iconic that his producers didn't want him to cut it!
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12. He was a huge country music fan and even appeared at the Grand Ole Opry!
Singer Hank Snow invited him onstage in 1987 and Ross jumped at the opportunity.
13. Studies show that 91% of his paintings have at least one tree in them.
No wonder his catchphrase was "happy little trees."
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