Bob Ross Authentic Signed Original Forest Hills Painting Contemporary Art

Artist: Bob Ross
Title: Forest Hills
Medium: Original Oil Painting
Size: 18" x 24"
Year: Circa 1989
Condition: Small tear (pictured): the tear is clean, there is no missing paint or canvas. The tear could be largely concealed if the canvas was removed from the stretcher bars and re-aligned.

Documentation: Includes a Certificate of Authenticity from Bob Ross, Inc.

This iteration of “Forest Hills” features the iconic imagery that made Bob Ross famous, highlighting the majestic mountains, clear water, and “happy trees” emblematic of Ross’ extensive body of work. Bob Ross’ precise attention to detail typifies his recognizable neo-realist style, and it’s on full display in this sweeping, lifelike landscape.

Bob Ross painted a version of “Forest Hills” on Season 9 of “The Joy of Painting.” Ross would paint the same image multiple times to try and perfect the process before tapings of the show. There is often considerable variance between versions of the same image, but this version of “Forest Hills” is very close to the episode piece. This original Bob Ross painting comes with a certificate of authenticity from Bob Ross Inc.

"Forest Hills" contains a small tear in the canvas which is shown in the photos. The tear is clean, without any missing paint or canvas. The tear could be largely concealed if the canvas was removed from the stretcher bars and re-aligned. Aside from the tear, the piece is in very good condition.

Having spent his entire artistic career in front of the TV camera shooting “The Joy of Painting”, Bob Ross was one of the greatest advocates for painting in the late 20th century. Known as a painter of uniquely soothing voice, who always painted “happy” images, he was watched by millions and eventually reached the status of a living icon.

He started his career in the US Air Force, where he spent 20 years, mostly in Alaska. In 1981, he abandoned the army to pursue painting. In the early years, he was struggling. This is when his signature perm was born, as a way of cutting haircut costs, a style he wore and hated throughout his life.

Ross remained dedicated to landscape throughout his entire body of work, which counts around 30.000 paintings. His works are populated with trees, clouds, lakes and streams, and only an occasional cabin. Known as a sincere environmentalist, he often painted various small animals, bringing them often to the studio. Interestingly, very few of his works ever depicted a human figure. The technique he used is called “wet on wet” or “Alla Prima”, dating back to the Renaissance. Still, it was difficult to define Bob Ross’ style in terms of contemporary art. It was closest to Pop Art, due to his celebrity status and the concept in which it was created. Except for the early gold pans, he distributed while stationed in Alaska, he never really sold his works.

Even today, more than twenty years after his death, he remains an Internet sensation. In 2015, over 400 episodes of his famous TV show “The Joy of Painting” were added to the official Bob Ross Youtube Channel. In 2016, his other painting television series “Beauty is Everywhere” began streaming on Netflix. Furthermore, numerous series have paid homage to Bob Ross in various ways, while Google keeps posting Google Doodle and birthday tributes to the painter every year.

A calm, happy person, Bob Ross kept a democratic, open attitude, claiming that anyone can paint regardless of talent, only if they are ready to practice enough. We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents,” he used to say. And the people loved him for it.

Born as Robert Norman Ross in Daytona Beach, Florida on October 29, 1942, the meticulous painter died of lymphoma on July 4, 1995, at the age of 52.