The Unemployed Philosophers Guild Bob Ross Heat Transforming Color Changing Reveal Mug - Add Coffee or Tea and a Happy Little Scene Appears - Comes in a Fun Gift Box

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paintings are in the possession of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. After all, Ross often produced a painting in less than 30 minutes (by contrast, it took da Vinci 4 years to complete the Mona Lisa), and his artwork was, by design, highly replicable. Most families that have these paintings are not millionaires,” he says, “and the money is very impactful in their lives.” We still have 4 of his paintings hanging here at the station,” says Lori Georgi, a director at WIPB. “People come from England just to see them.”

It spent years sitting in the garage until his son — an avid fan of Bob Ross YouTube videos — thought the signature in the corner looked familiar. Happy Little Accidents is a delightful collection of Bob Ross quotes, full of encouraging words and insightful wisdom. The book also includes an introduction and a biography of the famous painter. Some of his gems include: Bob Ross is an artistic hero to many. His show, The Joy of Painting, inspired countless folks to tap into their creative spirit, and beyond that, to do something everyday that will make them happy. We all need to be reminded of this every once and a while, so why not get a gentle nudge from your morning cup of coffee? This clever “self-painting” mug is an homage to Ross, but it goes beyond that to reveal a surprise image once you pour in a hot beverage. As the cup gets warmer, one of Ross' signature paintings appears before your eyes. The effect illuminates him as well as the printed saying of “We don’t make mistakes. We have happy accidents.”Inspired by the TV painter Bill Alexander, he started painting landscapes on gold mining pans and selling them at local markets in Alaska. The company, which can be reached by dialing 1-800-BOB-ROSS, gets constant inquiries from folks about buying the paintings. Joan Kowalski, Annette’s daughter, and the current president of Bob Ross, Inc., tells The Hustle that the company had never really given the paintings much thought.

Those are the wise words of Bob Ross — American painter, art instructor, television host, and every artist’s best friend. Known for his fast and simple “wet-on-wet” painting technique, he reached the hearts of art lovers all over the world with his popular TV program, The Joy of Painting . He was about as uninterested in the actual paintings as you could possibly be,” says Kowalski. “For him, it was the journey — he wanted to teach people. The paintings were just a means to do that.”

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Annette Kowalski is the woman who discovered Bob Ross and is also his former manager. She first met Ross at a painting class in the early 1980s and admitted that she was mesmerized by the soothing-voiced artist, following him around as he instructed other students instead of focusing on her own painting. For years, collectors and fans have clamored to own their own piece of Bob Ross lore. Multiple art dealers told The Hustle that demand for his work is extraordinarily robust. No one knows why they don’t want to sell the paintings, but it probably has to do with the fact that Bob Ross never really wanted his artworks to be capitalized on. He only wanted recognition for his talent, and he achieved that with his TV program. If he were alive right now, it’s highly unlikely that he’d approve of his paintings being sold at thousands of dollars. Bob Ross Paintings in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

To find out, I spoke with art gallery owners, auctioneers, art collectors, ex-colleagues who worked with Ross, and the president of Bob Ross, Inc. — the company that preserves his legacy. The man behind the canvas Today, 1,165 Bob Ross originals — a trove worth millions of dollars — sit in cardboard boxes inside the company’s nondescript office building in Herndon, Virginia.Ultimately, the real reason there aren’t more Bob Ross paintings up for sale is that the artist never wanted them to be a commodity. Part of the reason Bob Ross, Inc. isn’t interested in selling the paintings is that it has far more lucrative assets on hand — like Bob Ross’s IP.