I was recently asked what I thought of Bob Ross on Facebook. I answered thus:
IMHO: I think a lot of people like bob Ross without ever trying his methods and formulas. Why is that? I think a lot of people like Bob Ross' personality and character more than his art. I think a lot of people like his personality because it is pretty authentic (despite affectations) and damn free of pretensions, conceit, cynicism and discouragements. It is damn hard to make authentic representational landscapes in just a few hours. its a but easier to have the room for imagination and methods to fall back on, that said, I'm always impressed when people can make a full painting in a few minutes. And it's always inspiring to watch others, regardless of aesthetics, making stuff from nothing. I almost like it like I like watching someone perform a song they know well. I think Bill Alexander's paintings are better. They don't have the same necklaced slack that Ross' works do. Alexander's work is tighter, more skillful and addresses a higher common denominator. I think Ross' results are more realistic for beginners works and easier to match. I think it's always great when artists and kind people make their way into new media avenues, expose and inspire people to make stuff who wouldn't ordinarily do so. How "important" the work is, blah blah blah... I'm not going to write about here. But I always really enjoy watching and picking up tricks, methods and juju from people who have defined, honed and shaped a craft for themselves. IMHO. Merry Christmas!
