Description
Artist: Bob Ross
Title: Winter Moon
Medium: Original Oil on Canvas Painting
Size: 18" x 24"
Condition: Museum Quality
Documentation: Includes a Certificate of Authenticity from Bob Ross, Inc
The snowy mountain background of "Winter Moon" is quintessential Bob Ross. The soaring mountains, snow covered landscape, night sky, and stark trees all set a dramatic stage that showcases nature in all its splendor. Primarily focused on natural wonders, we rarely see man-made structures in Ross' work; the recurring, quaint Alaskan cabin included in this work is a notable exception. Bob Ross has a similar painting, titled "Northern Lights," that shares very similar foreground imagery. While the images are similar in many ways, the illumination from the sky in "Winter Moon" adds a vibrant, crystalline finish to the snow and nicely highlights the subject matter in the foreground. As always, Ross' attention to detail here is undeniable, with incredibly lifelike imagery and richly textured finishes. The "Winter Moon" image was painted by Bob Ross on "The Joy of Painting" on Season 1, Episode 6 which originally aired in 1983. Although the base image is the same, please note that this particular painting is not the one painted during Ross during the episode. Bob Ross' "Winter Moon" is signed by the artist and comes with a certificate of authenticity from Modern Artifact. The piece is not currently framed, but can be framed by Modern Artifact for an additional cost (please contact us for framing options).
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.