Since his passing in 1995, Ross has remained renowned—and arguably grown even more famous. Want to treat your ears to a serene feast of Bob Ross quotes? You can find almost every TV episode he ever made on YouTube, as well as some on Netflix under the series title Beauty Is Everywhere. And now, you can also dive into the backstory behind his TV fame with the new Netflix doc, Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed. Fair warning: There have been hints that the documentary chips away at Ross’ rosy exterior, although it also seems as if those unsavory bits have been overplayed to drum up interest for the film. For one thing, CNN has noted that the real behind-the-scenes drama unfolds thanks to Ross’ producing partners. “What could be lurking beneath the surface of Ross’ good-hearted facade? As it turns out, probably nothing that would get the beloved artist canceled,” the outlet wrote. “The real microscope is on Annette and Walter Kowalski, the painter’s long-time business partners who co-founded Bob Ross Inc. and have been involved in extensive legal battles against Ross’ estate and his family over the rights to the artist’s image.” Meanwhile, Happy Accidentsdirector Joshua Rofé gave Ross’ character a glowing review when he told Entertainment Weekly, “He was much livelier offscreen than he was onscreen. He was somebody who seemed to really relish being engaged in life in a way that was infused with a higher level of energetic charisma than you see on the show. He was just a guy who loved life and loved to be around people.” Whether you admire Ross for his “wet-on-wet” painting technique, TV personality or endearing optimism, his words are sure to bring a smile to your face and resonate especially with all individuals who utilize creative outlets or call themselves dreamers. Here are the 60 greatest Bob Ross quotes!
60 Best Bob Ross Quotes
- “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”
- “All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind.”
- “I started painting as a hobby when I was little. I didn’t know I had any talent. I believe talent is just a pursued interest. Anybody can do what I do.”
- “You can do anything here—the only prerequisite is that it makes you happy.”
- “You have to allow the paint to break to make it beautiful.”
- “If you do too much, it’s going to lose its effectiveness.”
- “Don’t forget to tell these special people in your life just how special they are to you.”
- “Anytime you learn, you gain.”
- “We don’t really know where this goes—and I’m not sure we really care.”
- “Go out on a limb—that’s where the fruit is.”
- “We artists are a different breed of people. We’re a happy bunch.”
- “I can’t think of anything more rewarding than being able to express yourself to others through painting. Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being creative; these things, to me, are truly the windows to your soul.”
- “Find freedom on this canvas.”
- “Gotta give him a friend. Like I always say, ‘Everyone needs a friend.’”
- “Anything that you’re willing to practice, you can do.”
- “Remember how free clouds are. They just lay around in the sky all day long.”
- “However you think it should be, that’s exactly how it should be.”
- “Trees cover up a multitude of sins.”
- “In painting, you have unlimited power. You have the ability to move mountains. You can bend rivers. But when I get home the only thing I have power over is the garbage.”
- “There’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.”
- “Every day is a good day when you paint.”
- “Isn’t it fantastic that you can change your mind and create all these happy things?”
- “Use absolutely no pressure. Just like an angel’s wing.”
- “The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it. Anything that you believe you can do strong enough, you can do. Anything. As long as you believe.”
- “I think there’s an artist hidden at the bottom of every single one of us.”
- “It’s life. It’s interesting. It’s fun.”
- “The only thing worse than yellow snow is green snow.”
- “You can have anything you want in the world, once you help everyone around you get what they want.”
- “I think each of us, sometime in our life, has wanted to paint a picture.”
- “Let’s build some happy little trees.”
- “I like to beat the brush.”
- “If I paint something, I don’t want to have to explain what it is.”
- “That’s a crooked tree. We’ll send him to Washington.”
- “We don’t laugh because we feel good, we feel good because we laugh.”
- “Look around. Look at what we have. Beauty is everywhere—you only have to look to see it.”
- “If we’re going to have animals around we all have to be concerned about them and take care of them.”
- “I really believe that if you practice enough you could paint the ‘Mona Lisa’ with a 2-inch brush.”
- “This is a happy place; little squirrels live here and play.”
- “Ever make mistakes in life? Let’s make them birds. Yeah, they’re birds now.”
- “Gotta have opposites, light and dark and dark and light, in painting. It’s like in life. Gotta have a little sadness once in awhile so you know when the good times come.”
- “Talk to the tree, make friends with it.”
- “How do you make a round circle with a square knife? That’s your challenge for the day.”
- “I remember when my Dad told me as a kid, ‘If you want to catch a rabbit, stand behind a tree and make a noise like a carrot. Then when the rabbit comes by you grab him.’ Works pretty good until you try to figure out what kind of noise a carrot makes…”
- “Be so very light. Be a gentle whisper.”
- “We want happy paintings. If you want sad things, watch the news.”
- “I guess I’m a little weird. I like to talk to trees and animals. That’s okay though; I have more fun than most people.”
- “It’s hard to see things when you are too close. Take a step back and look.”
- “Water’s like me. It’s lazy. Boy, it always looks for the easiest way to do things.”
- “In nature, dead trees are just as normal as live trees.”
- “Let’s build a happy little cloud.”
- “They say everything looks better with odd numbers of things. But sometimes I put even numbers – just to upset the critics.”
- “It’s so important to do something every day that will make you happy.”
- “There’s nothing in the world that breeds success like success.”
- “Mix up a little more shadow color here, then we can put us a little shadow right in there. See how you can move things around? You have unlimited power on this canvas – can literally, literally move mountains.”
- “You can do anything you want. This is your world.”
- “What can be painted can be punished.”
- “You too can paint almighty pictures.”
- “Wash the brush; just beat the devil out of it.”
- “Let’s get crazy.”
- “Make love to the canvas.” Check out:- 100 quotes about happiness- Best 100 quotes about not giving up- 150 quotes about reaching your goals
