Antiques Roadshow guest jaws drop at value of Bob | TV Shows

At an Antiques Roadshow appraisal, a visitor was stunned to learn that her bargain purchase—an original Bob Ross painting—could fetch a hefty sum.

Appraiser Laura Woolley, who had assembled several guests with Bob Ross’s artworks for the PBS show, couldn’t hide her admiration for the iconic TV artist of The Joy of Painting.

She formed what she playfully called a “little Bob Ross Appreciation Society” and was visibly moved by the artwork, confessing: “They just never come up for auction and trust me, I keep my eyes out.”

Her emotional attachment was evident as she admitted: “People have a very emotional – look, I’m tearing up. People have such an emotional connection to Bob.”

The highlight was an Alaskan oil painting that caught Woolley’s expert eye, which she valued between $15,000 and $25,000.

“They had a stack of paintings and I had $5 in my pocket and I liked this one and he said ‘Ok’ and I paid him $5, all I had, and I got this painting.

“It hung on the wall for years, and at least 10 years later, I was watching Joy of Painting, PBS, I love that show, and I’m like ‘you know, that painting he’s doing looks kind of familiar!’

“And then I went back where it was hanging on the wall and ‘Oh my gosh, it’s got his name on it, it’s got Ross on there!’ So it was so exciting. It was just so cool.”

She proudly proclaimed her admiration for Bob Ross by expressing her enthusiasm for his signature “happy clouds” and displayed her specially worn “Happy Bob Ross socks” in celebration of the discovery.

She indicated plans to get the painting professionally framed and insured, now aware of its authentic value.

Bob Ross etched his legacy into the art world through his endearing show The Joy of Painting, where he would enchantingly create his artworks with the hope of inspiring viewers to explore their own artistic talents.

The series aired from 1983 until 1994, and though Bob Ross passed away a year later at the age of 52 due to lymphoma complications, his gentle approach to teaching continues to endear him to fans worldwide.