Even two decades after “The Joy of Painting” aired, Bob Ross still has a monumental effect on present-day culture. From t-shirts to bobble heads, toasters to puzzles, socks to calendars, there is no shortage of material goods with Bob Ross’ face or his notable quotes. Bob Ross’ calm demeanor and soothing voice has mesmerized multitudes who tune in to his show to either paint along with him or just watch for pleasure.
At first glance, Bob Ross and his television show “The Joy of Painting” may seem like an innocent means for relaxation or stress relief, but, in a closer look, it seems to distort elements of Biblical grace.
The Atlantic’s Michael J. Mooney wrote that, “Bob Ross is the ultimate calming experience.” Most viewers do not watch the show to paint along with Bob, but rather just to hear his voice and watch him work his magic on the canvas. In fact, it was once estimated that only about 10% of viewers actually painted along with him. It is vital for Christians to remember where our ultimate joy, comfort, and peace come from. We can attempt to suppress our stress and anxiety through worldly things, but the relief is only temporary.
Ross painted landscapes, which was part of why people were drawn to his work in the first place. People find happiness in nature. Ross continually emphasized that the canvas is the painter’s world, and that their creativity is limitless.
However, nature is not something we as humans create; it is what God has already created. The show arguably focuses too much on nature, and less on its Creator. While Genesis 1 tells us that God created the natural world and it was good, we cannot overindulge on nature and neglect the Maker. Putting too much of an emphasis on nature as whatever we want it to be hinders the natural revelation of God.
When nature becomes an idol, we also forget about God. It becomes just another part of this world that we can manipulate and make into whatever we wish. It is important to praise and glorify the Creator, not just the created.
The natural world was not the apex of creation. Genesis reveals that God created man on the sixth day of creation, in his image, to subdue and have dominion over the land and animals. However, Ross separates man from creation. In a statistical analysis of all of Bob’s paintings completed on public television, one out of the 381 paintings Bob Ross created as part of “The Joy of Painting” contained a human. The viewer was encouraged to create a picturesque landscape of whatever they deemed fit, but with no human footprint. People were virtually eliminated from the world of the painter.
The desire to separate the natural world from the being that God created to have dominion over the land seems a bit fraudulent. Man was the pinnacle of creation, not the natural world. When nature becomes an idol, we forget that God created man to dwell in and enjoy creation since it reflects his creative power and love for us.
The focal point of the entire series is encompassed in the title. Painting is a means to experience joy. The joy that someone can experience through painting is unlike anything else. It can counteract any stress or anxiety. This joy is realized through painting strictly natural landscapes, putting the power of creation in the hands of the artist.
But what happens when painting with Bob Ross no longer gives us any joy?
As Paul reveals in his letter to the Galatians, joy is part of the fruit of the spirit. Joy is truly experienced when we surrender ourselves to God. Only then will the Holy Spirit grant us the ultimate joy. This joy is not found in what our minds can think to put on a canvas. True joy cannot be captured in a painting. While we may find happiness in observing and appreciating art, we must remember who this art reflects. It is not reflective of us as human beings but of the gifts that God has graciously bestowed on us. God has given us the capabilities to create things in this world through which we can glorify him.
However, true joy only comes from God, not through the things we create. God desires for us to be happy, but only he can provide the ultimate satisfaction. John 15:11 says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” In this parable, Jesus instructs the disciples to keep his commandments and remain in his love so that their joy may be complete. Complete joy does not come from painting, but through a relationship with God who created it. Only God can take away our anxieties and reveal to us the meaning of true happiness.
By no means should Bob Ross and “The Joy of Painting” be disparaged. I enjoy Bob and his paintings just as much as the next person and acknowledge the talent it takes to paint stunning landscapes in such a short period of time. The bottom line is whether we idolize Ross’ work and lean on it as a means of relief from the stressful lives we live or we recognize Bob as a remarkable artist who has been blessed with a special gift from God that allows him to depict the natural world in stunning realism.
The world is increasingly becoming secular. It is of utmost importance as Christians to identify the corrupted elements of grace in the culture around us, and acknowledge where true grace comes from and avoid idolizing cultural icons.
While “The Joy of Painting” contains elements of grace, it is important not to idolize them. Comfort, joy, and the natural world around us are all good things when rooted in God. Take God out of the picture and they become another object with which we try to fill the void. Only God subversively fulfills the desires of our heart that we seek to satisfy through painting. Let us instead be satisfied with the fact that God alone is our source of true comfort and joy.
As St. Augustine said in his Confessions, “our hearts are restless until they can find peace in [God].”
