Sebastian Kirsch: Blog

I occasionally watch Bob Ross’ “Joy of Painting", which airs late at night (1am or 2am) on German educational TV station BR-alpha. It is a TV show that demonstrates how to paint in Ross’ special “wet-on-wet” technique; in half an hour, he paints a wildlife scene, or a mountain, or a seaside idyll. You can order special Bob Ross painting kits and “create” paintings just as kitschy as Ross’ own.

I am not especially interested in learning how to create fictional landscapes in oils. I just watch it because Ross patters on for the whole half hour in this very low and hypnotic voice – about “happy little bushes” and “happy little trees", about how “it doesn’t matter where you put it", “it’s your painting, you decide where too put it", referring to trees and bushes as “little rascals". It is so soothing, it is a piece of an ideal world on canvas.

My brother watches home shopping to relax and go to sleep, I watch Bob Ross.

“Happy painting, and God bless my friend.”