Bob Ross was a popular figure on the PBS network throughout the 80s and 90s, hosting his show, The Joy of Painting. Ross had the calming voice and is most famous for showing everybody how to paint those iconic happy little trees. Sadly, the artist passed away in 1995 from Lymphoma at the age of 52, but he left a lasting imprint on popular culture. And now, actor David Arquette recently revealed that he attended an instructional Bob Ross painting course and he's now certified to teach everybody how to paint those happy little trees.

In a recent interview, David Arquette revealed that he became obsessed with Bob Ross and The Joy of Painting, leaving him to wonder if there were any courses to teach you how to paint like Ross. After some searching, Arquette found a class and promptly took it. The actor noted that it really relaxed him and that he became obsessed with it. He explains.

"I recently took a course, a Bob Ross instructional course. He's so calming... and he's so amazing, the way he paints so fast, and I was just obsessed with it, and it just relaxed me, so I was just watching one time and I thought, I wonder if you can take his course still, if you can paint these things that he's painting. So, I called up to BobRoss.com and they were like, Yeah, there's a local instructor you can find."

But that wasn't enough for David Arquette. He says that while he was taking the course, he wondered how the instructor became certified to teach in the style of Bob Ross. Arquette then found out that there's a 3-week course that certifies people to teach in the style, which is known as a wet-on-wet type of painting. Arquette jumped at the chance and he can now certifiably teach others to paint just like Bob Ross. He says.

"So, I met this guy, and he was amazing, and I took this course, and then I asked him, like, How did you get certified to do this? And he said, Well, it's a three-week course in New Smyrna Beach. So, this past summer, I went there. and I did it. and now I've taught like 30 people how to paint these little happy trees."

In a separate interview, David Arquette talked about how his new-found love of painting in the style of Bob Ross, "calms his soul." Arquette also mentioned that he works for an organization called Art of Elysium where they go around to children's hospitals and teach kids how to paint the happy little trees that Bob Ross made famous. One of the best things about the Ross approach to painting was that he was able to do it quickly and with not very many tools, making it pretty easy for beginners to pick up with almost instant gratification while using the wet-on-wet technique.

Bob Ross has been gone for 23 years now, but his spirit lives on through the certified instructors who are trained to teach in his style. While he was alive, Ross was able to turn his technique and show into a $15 million empire, just from doing something that he loved to do. And now, David Arquette is carrying that torch. You can check out the interview with Arquette talking about his love for Bob Ross via the Post Mortem Podcast.