The creation of this article included the use of AI and was edited by human content creators. Read more on our AI policy here.
For millions of Americans who came of age in the 1980s and early 1990s, few television experiences were as quietly transformative as settling into the couch and watching Bob Ross work his magic on PBS.
His gentle voice, that iconic perm, and his reassuring philosophy that there are “no mistakes, only happy accidents” became a weekly ritual for viewers who found unexpected peace in watching landscapes emerge from blank canvases.
Now, three of those very paintings — created live on camera during episodes many of us remember fondly — have sold for a combined $1.2 million, far exceeding their estimated value of around $155,000.
More remarkably, every dollar is going back to support the public television stations that brought Ross into our living rooms in the first place.
READ MORE: Taking Up These Analog Hobbies Can Help You Unplug and Reduce Your Screen Time This Year
Bob Ross created the paintings three decades ago
The three paintings — Change of Seasons (1990), Valley View (1990), and Babbling Brook (1993) — were auctioned off at Bonhams Skinner’s Americana in Marlborough, Massachusetts on Jan. 27.
Each piece was created during actual episodes of The Joy of Painting, the beloved series that aired on PBS from 1983 to 1994.
For those who spent countless hours watching Ross transform empty canvases into serene wilderness scenes, these aren’t just paintings — they’re artifacts of shared cultural memory.
Each brushstroke represents a moment when viewers across the country watched in real time, perhaps attempting their own versions at home with paint sets purchased from local art supply stores.
Change of Seasons led the auction with a stunning sale of $787,900, despite being valued at no more than $60,000.
The painting depicts snowy mountains, a river, and a forest against a pastel-hued sky — the kind of tranquil scene that became Ross’s signature.
Ross created it on Season 20, Episode 11 of his show, which aired on June 13, 1990, and described it simply as a “beautiful little painting.”
Babbling Brook, valued at no more than $45,000, sold for a staggering $279,900.
This peaceful scene was created on Season 30, Episode 1 of the show, which aired on Nov. 23, 1993 — just over a year before the series ended its remarkable eleven-year run.
Valley View, valued at no more than $50,000, brought in $203,700. Ross painted this landscape on Season 21, Episode 1, which aired on Sept. 5, 1990.
These prices represent more than market speculation or collector enthusiasm.
They reflect a deep, genuine appreciation for an artist who never sought fame but found it anyway through his authentic warmth and his unwavering belief that creativity belonged to everyone, not just those with formal training.
READ MORE: 2026 Colors of the Year Are Starting to Roll Out. Here’s Every Color Reveal So Far
Supporting the stations that supported Rob Ross
Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
Perhaps the most touching aspect of this auction is where the money is going.
The paintings were offered by American Public Television, which pledged to direct 100% of the proceeds to public television stations across the U.S.
For those who remember the pledge drives, the tote bags, and the way local PBS stations became trusted community institutions, this feels like a beautiful full-circle moment.
The artist who became famous through public broadcasting is now, decades after his passing, continuing to support the medium that gave him his platform.
“To see Bob’s paintings resonate so powerfully reminds me that his work continues to bring joy and meaning to people’s lives,” Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., said in a statement, per Ocula Magazine.
“I’m hopeful that Bob’s work can provide meaningful support to stations nationwide. It’s exactly what Bob would have wanted — to continue inspiring and uplifting public television for generations to come,” Kowalski added in the statement.
Those words carry particular weight given the current challenges facing public broadcasting.
The news of this auction comes nearly six months after President Donald Trump signed a bill cutting more than $1 billion in funds destined for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances NPR and PBS.
READ MORE: Hand Shape Found in Indonesian Cave May Be the Oldest Rock Art Ever Discovered
An artistic legacy that continues to inspire
Bob Ross’s The Joy of Painting aired on PBS from 1983 to 1994, producing over 400 episodes that have since found new life on streaming platforms and YouTube, where younger generations have discovered his calming presence.
The beloved artist died on July 4, 1995, at the age of 52. He passed away in Florida from lymphoma, per The New York Times.
Yet his influence persists in ways that might have surprised even him.
His paintings, once given away or sold for modest sums, now command prices that rival works by academically celebrated artists.
His techniques are still taught. His episodes are still watched. And his philosophy — that art is accessible, that nature is beautiful, and that everyone deserves moments of creative peace — resonates as strongly today as it did when he first picked up a palette knife on public television.
For collectors and enthusiasts who missed this auction, there may be another opportunity on the horizon.
According to Ocula, Bonhams Skinner is expected to offer a new collection of Ross’ paintings in its New York auction this April.
Whether these future offerings will match the extraordinary prices achieved in January remains to be seen.
But for those of us who grew up with Bob Ross as a gentle, reassuring presence in our lives, the true value of his work was never really about money.
ALSO ON LIFE & STYLE: What Modern Color Theory Looks Like Inside SuperSure’s Wells Fargo Center Penthouse Office with Super Buddha
It was about those quiet moments when a soft-spoken man with a paintbrush reminded us that the world could be beautiful, that mistakes could become opportunities, and that happy little trees were always within reach.
