Bob Ross art show opens tonight

Bob Ross, the host of the PBS show The Joy of Painting, is the subject of a new art show opening tonight in Vancouver.

Bob Ross, best known as the genial host of the PBS show The Joy of Painting, is the subject of a new art show in Vancouver. Happy Little Clouds, named after one of the expressions Ross used in his show, opens tonight at the Fall Tattooing and Artists Gallery (644 Seymour St.).

The show is curated by Christina Chant. Previously, Chant has held art shows that paid tribute to Bill Murray, the Spice Girls and Snoop Dogg. Submissions are generally open to anyone, from amateur to experienced artists, as long as the pieces have something to do with the subject. Experimenting with different media is encouraged, making for some very interesting pieces.

For the Ross show, some are paintings, some drawings, and there is at least one embroidered piece of art, one stained-glass piece, one black velvet painting and one manga version of the artist. A few days before the opening, Chant said she had so far collected about 70 pieces, a substantial amount though not as many as she has collected for some of her previous shows.

Typically, she invites friends and artist acquaintances to contribute, but people also learn about the show through word-of-mouth.

One of the reasons Chant chose Ross for her latest show was the all-inclusive nature of the artist, who believed anyone could paint and spread his love of art through his long-running (1983-1994) TV show. Ross had begun painting while in the army, where he developed his quick-painting technique during brief daily work breaks. While stationed in Alaska, the Florida-raised Ross saw snow and mountains for the first time,  two features that later became recurring themes in his work. Ross died in 1995, but his afro’d image continues to adorn paint sets in his name.

Happy Little Clouds runs at until March 23.

Article source: http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2014/02/22/bob-ross-art-show-opens-tonight/