The Story Behind Bob Ross And His Wife Vivian Ridge

The discovery of a recently unearthed video of Bob Ross paints a poignant and intriguing portrait of his life. His wife, Vivian Ridge, appears in the video as Ross struggles for her attention. It re-ignites interest in the artist’s work and highlights the lack of appreciation for his work in his later years.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Bob Ross was an American painter, best known for his long-running PBS show “The Joy of Painting.” At the time of his death in 1995, he had more than 2,500 paintings in his collection. But who was Bob Ross? And how did he meet his wife Vivian Ridge?

 

Robert Frederick Ross was born on May 4th, 1941 in New York City. In high school, he developed a love for painting and sculpture. After earning a degree in art from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, he moved to New York to pursue a career as a painter.

 

In 1969, Ross met Vivian Ridge at an exhibition of her husband’s work. They married two years later and settled down in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. The couple had two children together before divorcing in 1984.

 

After divorcing Vivian Ridge, Ross continued to paint and enjoy life with his two children. He died from lung cancer on October 28th, 1995 at the age of 58.

How Vivian Ridge became a painter

Vivian Ridge, who became known as the “Painter of Calm”, was born Vivian Jeanette Steingraber in 1938 in a small town in upstate New York. Her parents were strict and she was not allowed to play with other children her age. As a result, Vivian spent much of her time painting and exploring nature. In 1959, Vivian met Bob Ross while they both worked as seasonal employees at a ski resort in Aspen, Colorado. At first, Vivian was unimpressed by Bob’s laid-back personality and lack of ambition, but the two eventually struck up a friendship. One summer, Bob persuaded Vivian to travel with him to New York City to show her some of the city’s sights. After spending some time there, Vivian fell in love with the city and decided to stay for good.

 

Bob Ross began painting landscapes using oil paints on canvas using his gentle but effective techniques. His work soon gained popularity and he became a household name thanks to his PBS series “The Joy of Painting”. Vivian Ridge continued working alongside Bob until his death in 1995 at the age of 68. She later published a book chronicling their life together called “Bob Ross: A Life in Pictures”. Today, Vivian Ridge continues painting using her own unique style which is characterized by its peaceful and calming effects.

How Bob Ross got his start in art

Bob Ross, the revered artist who taught millions of people how to paint with his gentle and calming style, started out as a frustrated artist. After dropping out of college, he worked odd jobs before finally finding success as a painter on PBS with the help of his wife Vivian Ridge. In this infographic from About.com, we’ll explore the story behind Bob Ross and learn a little bit about his unique style.

Painting as therapy

Painting as therapy has been around for centuries and is said to have many benefits. Bob Ross, who became famous for his painting show “The Joy of Painting” in the 1970s, was known for his soothing paintings. He and his wife Vivian Ridge used painting as a form of therapy to deal with their personal demons.

 

Ross was born in 1918 in Massachusetts and grew up during the Great Depression. At a young age, he experienced personal tragedy when his mother died and his father abandoned him. Ross developed an interest in art while attending college but faced many challenges throughout his life. In the 1950s, he developed angina pectoris and was told that he had only two years to live. However, after practicing yoga and meditation, he was able to overcome his health issues and continue painting.

 

Ridge met Ross while she was working at an art gallery in Connecticut. After dating for a few months, they married in 1961. Together, they created some of the most famous paintings ever made, including “The Peaceful Valley” series and “A Long Winter’s Night”. The couple retired from painting in 1996 but continued to sell their artwork until their death in 2014 at the age of 84 and 82, respectively.

Bob’s success as an artist and how that impacted his life and family

Bob Ross was a popular American painter who achieved mainstream success in the late 1960s and 1970s. He is most famous for his PBS series “The Joy of Painting”, which ran from 1978 to 1994.

 

Ross was born in 1937 in a small town in New York state. He began painting as a child, but it wasn’t until he moved to New York City that he started to make any real progress. After graduating from college, Ross worked as a graphic designer for several years before deciding to try his hand at painting full-time.

 

He soon found success, and by the early 1970s had become one of the most well-known painters in the United States. His paintings often depicted pastoral scenes or scenes of nature, and were popular with both beginners and experts alike.

 

One of the main reasons for Ross’ success was his unique style. Unlike many other painters, who tended to use broad brushstrokes or dense layers of paint, Ross used light and gentle strokes to create his images. This simple technique resulted in beautiful and soothing paintings that appealed to a large audience.

 

Ross also had a great deal of compassion for his subjects matter. He often painted landscapes or scenes from nature because he believed that they offered people an opportunity to reflect on their own lives and values. In fact, one of Ross’s favorite sayings was “painting is not about making things pretty ; it’s about making things right.”

Conclusion

When people think of Bob Ross, they usually think of happy little trees and landscapes with gentle light. But many don’t know the story of how he and his wife Vivian Ridge came to create such beautiful work. In this article, we explore their inspiring relationship and the journey that led them to paint the way they do. From growing up in a poverty-stricken family to experiencing great tragedy, their story is one of overcoming obstacles and finding happiness in art. We hope you enjoy reading about them as much as we did writing about them!

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