Bob Ross (October 29, 1942-July 4, 1995) was an Americann painter and television presenter. He was the host of The Joy of Painting, perhaps the most recognized, most watched art program in the history of American television.

With bushy hair and a calm, soothing voice, Mr. Ross taught viewers to paint "happy little clouds" and "pretty little mountains." He believed that, given half an hour, anyone could paint a landscape by following his instructions.

He later expanded his activities into a multimillion-dollar business that included how-to books, a line of art paint and courses in which instructors were trained in the Bob Ross method.

The series is currently shown in German television at night (BR-Alpha).

External link:

A (German) article on the success of Bob Ross in German TV can be found here (Sept. 2003):

http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/0,1518,266815,00.html