Artist of the Century

Twenty Seventh Post: Artist of the Century

If a person where asked who was the greatest artist of the 20th century, what would be their answer. It could be Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, or maybe a pop artist like Warhol. All are distinguished and created some great works. But one artist stands out above all artists.

That artist is one who not only made great paintings and established his own technique, but also taught his techniques to thousands of other people so they could also enjoy art. Even so, Picasso is debated to be the best. But it just isn’t so.

So who is the undisputed, greatest artist of that century? Who is the one who made art easy enough so everyone could enjoy it. The answer simply is Bob Ross.

Of course it is Bob Ross, and not any other artist. It is the way he paints. His paintings look as though he had spent hours on them, when it actually took only minutes. His technique has a low learning curve and emphasizes fun and enjoyment of work.

His critics would state this is why his artwork lacks artistic merit. But this is where they are exactly wrong. Bob Ross teaches a technique the makes it easy to create great pictures, but he emphasizes using the imagination and “creating your own world.” His critics assume that just because and artist of average talent can easily create a masterpiece, that they are cheating. But this statement proves itself wrong. Other then plagiarism, how can you cheat at art? The artist uses Ross’s technique to create a unique picture which they had to decide “how their world would look.”

Ross’s artwork is impressive, but it is not just the final artwork but the manner it was created. Bob Ross would create a sky with a cloud. He made no mistakes only “happy accidents.” These accidents is what makes the technique so fun. Making a mistake does not destroy the work it only makes it a learning process. And sometimes a “happy accident” occurs that makes the work look better by making it look like it was intended.

Bob Moves from the sky to the mountains and then to his favorite part the trees. He will paint one tree, but that isn’t enough because that "tree is lonely and needs a friend." From the trees to the “happy little” bushes. Then the water is painted. Finally it is a “bravery test.” Ross then paints a large tree to complete the scene.

Ross’s videos are great. They can teach an ordinary person to be an artist. The are fun to watch just to see Ross create his little world. This is what makes Ross the greatest artist of the 20th century.