Every Sunday after church, the first thing I would do when I got home was to take my shoes off turn on the television and lay out on the couch.
The channel was the local PBS station and the show was "The Joy of Painting" featuring Bob Ross.
I was guaranteed a wonderful Sunday afternoon nap.
Not because the show was boring, but rather because it was so relaxing.
There were a few things about Bob Ross and his work that made it so easy to nod off peacefully.
Something out of nothing When Bob would start one of his paintings, you might be under the impression that it would be an abstract piece.
Pretty soon, and I mean soon since he only had about 27 minutes to work with, you would see bushes, flowers, rocks, mountains, streams, lakes, and even cabins appear out of nowhere.
To very experienced painters, this is like oil painting 101, but to me it was magic.
Watching him create the illusion of water reflection was mesmerizing.
All of this with a few colors and a little skill with some brushes and a knife.
The colors Ross did not use too many different colors on his palette.
As a result, Yellow Ochre, Van Dyke Brown, Phthalo Blue, and Alizarin Crimson became familiar friends.
After watching a few shows, you would be able to predict which colors went together for the next part of the painting.
And you always knew he would finish by signing his name with Bright Red with a little bit of odorless paint thinner.
Happy little trees Bob would often talk about "happy little trees" and rocks "having a little friend right over here.
" You started to get the feeling he was telling you the story of the painting as he was creating it.
There was no real plot, but you found yourself actually caring about the little tree and the old mountain and the proud river.
If the show went on long enough, he might have started naming them.
And that would have been just fine.
Bob Ross The man was always so laid back and his voice always so calm and peaceful.
A big part of why the show was so relaxing to watch was that he was so relaxing to listen to.
He wouldn't just talk about the painting or the technique he was using.
He would also talk about animals he had, or a letter from a fan or a funny story in one of his classes.
Some of his own philosophies in life would come out like his belief that there are not mistakes, but rather "happy accidents.
" You felt safe and content just sitting there watching him.
I recently rediscovered reruns of the show on local PBS channel where I live now.
I can see the shows all week instead of just Sundays now, but the results are the same.
I find myself settling into my chair and fighting to keep my eyes completely open as Bob Ross works his magic.
By the time Bob signs off with "happy painting, and God bless," my reaction is usually, "zzz..
..
"