Buy The First Bob Ross

Isaac Taylor

Bob Ross, the friend of stoners, 80s housewives, and people just looking to destress and make some nice little paintings, has sky rocketed in popularity in recent years.

As people look for ways to unwind online his TV show has provided a respite of calm that nothing else can. Who else can tell you that we don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents?
He did over 1000 paintings for his TV show The Joy of Painting but many remain locked away or unseen. He did as many as 30,000 pieces over his lifetime. For each episode he would do three versions. The first being a reference for the second he would do while being filmed, and finally a third more detailed piece for print in his art books.

The first piece he ever did, A Walk in the Woods, is being put on the market by Modern Artifact, which you can buy online right now. They even take Paypal. This piece was done on air, and took Ross half an hour to whip together on Jan. 11, 1983. It’s outrageously priced, with an asking bid of $9,850,000 but that may be the point as it’s essentially a Not For Sale price. The buyer is looking at touring it in museums and galleries. Ryan Nelson, the owner of Modern Artifact has bought and sold over 100 Bob Ross pieces, but this one, being the first, makes it a pretty important piece in Ross’s portfolio.

The 18″ x 24″ piece was sold at an auction back in the day in support of the TV station his show was broadcast on to keep the lights on. The woman who won it worked there at the time as a volunteer and had it hanging in her house for 39 years. It was an incredible score, considering it’s potential value today.

Bob Ross has become a cult icon, and his pieces are rare in the wild, with most boxed up in a warehouse.

“A Walk in the Woods” is signed “Ross” in red on the front lower left and includes a certificate of authenticity from Bob Ross, Inc. The piece also includes a written statement from the original, and only, owner who was there at the time this piece was painted by Bob Ross.