BOB ROSS (RIP July 4, 1995)
The Intense Individual Party is exactly one month away. Many costume ideas have been brought to my attention and some just blow my mind. I love that the people invited to come as themselves are actually excited about the fact and embracing their Intensity.
A new element added this year will be the tents set up in the backyard so that people can literally be in-tents. If they want to camp in them overnight and sleep in-tents as well, that would be perfectly fine. Actually that would be MORE than fine.
I’m thinking that each tent will be dedicated to an Intense Landmark. (e.g. Times Square, the Scientology Celebrity Center in Hollywood, Neverland Ranch, Alaska in general…you know stuff like that.) If you have any other ideas for I.Ls please send them my way.
Speaking of Alaska…I miss Bob Ross. He was once quoted as saying, “God was having a good day when He made Alaska.”
This past Fourth of July marked the ten year anniversary of this death. Thanks to a 5 oz tube of Indian Yellow oil, the lover of Alaska painted accents of sunlight on trees and mountains. Excuse me…accents of “happy sunlight” on “happy trees and mountains”. His soothing voice danced along side his brushstrokes with poise and ease as artists and non-artists everywhere were swept off their feet.
It seems like Bob Ross is one of those individuals who pops into my life from time to time. The other day my friend Mike sent me an email with an attached picture of his friend Sam Warren wearing something astonishing.
Unbelieveable.
I absolutely love t-shirts like that. I find it fantastic when people wear t-shirts idolizing their idols or expressing their thoughts. Although I find it a bit odd my little 17 year-old sister, Jill*, bought a t-shirt with The Beatles emblem on the front. Fifty bucks to you Jilly if you can tell me who Ringo Starr is.
Kids these days.
The t-shirt worn by Sam exemplifies the legend of Bob Ross and why he is a classic example of an Intense Individual. Although some cynics would say he’s not “Intense” by definition, to be Intense goes way beyond the definition. It’s all about the details.
Yes, there may be other artists such as Van Gogh (because of the ear incident) or Günter Brus (because of the mutilation that went beyond an ear) that would define Intense by their physical actions but with Bob Ross it was his simplicity that put him in that league. It was his sheer JOY of painting as well as the fact that he could make a bush appear happy with only a few brush strokes that made him Intense.
Here is Hew Harris at the Intense Individual Party #2 dressed up as Mr. Ross himself.
The resemblance is absolutely uncanny.
RIP Bob. We miss you dearly. We miss you everyday.
Footnote/Asterisk
*Jill’s recent question to me that sent me running to the mirror to check for wrinkles was: “Lisa, WHO is Punky Brewster?” Ummm…this coming from a girl who sports The Beatles t-shirt and drinks coke out of a bottle like she’s in 1968. 
Jilly, if you want to live in the past, then do some research, baby. Just being a DJ at the Corvette Diner and sipping a malt milkshake doesn’t give you full access to a flux capacitor. 
It’s not all about The OC…there used to be a show called 90210, ok?
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I’m not even going to start to go into the fact that after Jill read this post she said, “Lisa what’s a flux capacitor?” Oh Marty McFly would be so disapointed.
Wow…I had no idea that Mr. Ross passed away on my bday…we shall have a special remembrance toast to him July 4, 06……amongst others!
Forever young; it’s the only way,
xo
mom
I used to watch Bob Ross paint on PBS (or was it TVO?) when I was a kid. His paintings were intense in the natural beauty and emotion they portrayed. Amazing how something like that can come out of someone’s mind and cover a blank canvas. I never knew his name, though. Thanks for the enlightenment.
During my insomnia last year, seeing a Bob Ross painting show rerun on Dutch TV at 4 a.m. literally brought tears to my eyes. Was it just the fatigue? Hardly. As a painter myself, I can appreciate the vitality Bob brought to each painting. No, I don’t do a whole lot of nature landscapes…okay, I have never done a nature landscape, but Bob did. And Bob taught others how to do what he did, day after happy day. And as an environmentalist (when I’m not painting, k?), I appreciate that.
Now.
Intense landmarks:
The Grand Canyon
Sherman Restaurant in Evanston, Illinois
The Bermuda Triangle
p.s. “Alaska is up there, literally and figuratively.” Lisa Comrie, 2003.
Hmmm, all this talk of Alaska has me thinking you are trying to hypnotize me into coming to your party. Being the resident Alaskan on your comment board I must state some facts.
)
1) Alaska is very intense. I don’t meet too many normal, calm people, they are all crazy about what they do. INTENSE Jesus Worshippers, INTENSE spandex pants on men, INTENSE Subaru fans, and INTENSE potheads if that is possible.
2)”God was having a good day when He made Alaska.” God obviously overlooked putting decent men in Alaska. He was too busy making mountains and moose and such. Although, I was born here, so I will give God credit for a good score there.
3) I can only guess what Saskia and your debate is about, but being that Saskia has ties to Texas I will state the truth about the size debate that Texans can’t accept. Alaska IS far larger than Texas, and I think we have the northern most point in North America as well.
PS – I’m concerned that your family might have had your sister locked up in the basement for the duration of the 80’s & 90’s. Who doesn’t know these pop culture facts?!?!?!
Not only was flux capacitor mentioned in both our Oct. 12th posts, but so was Alaska and death. What the crap is happening??
LC
Its Dina
I have a few IL’s for ya baby
The bermuda Triangle
The Las Vegas Strip
And dont forget about the 7 wonders of the world.
Funny you mention the F.L. (flux capacitor) because I have a quote from Doc (his famous catch phrase) on my blog. It’s quote #67 in 2005. If you don’t know it, you better check it out @ http://yki19.blogspot.com/ Warm regards. -BC
So yesterday at work i found myself alone in the lunchroom with control over the TV controller. I clicked through the channels and found Bob Ross. He had just started a painting. I got so into it I forgot where I was. I saw some people coming but had no time to change it. When they say what i was watching they got so excited and ended up turning him on in their offices. Word spread and I soon had a crowd in the lunch room watching good ‘ole Bobby. May he rest in Peace! and in his paintings.