#ROSSOLOGY: Red, White & Phthalo Blue

Earlier this month in between painting workshops at the Bob Ross Experience at Minnetrista Museum & Gardens, I stepped outside onto the circle drive in front of L.L. Ball Home for some fresh air.

I had just finished an afternoon class and wanted to check out the beautiful flowers the team at Minnetrista had been working on.

As I opened the squeaky wood front door, I was greeted outside by David.

With an infectious smile, wearing a Be Like Bob t-shirt from the Orchard Shop, a white Bob Ross baseball hat and a right arm inked with eye-catching tattoos, he said hello before I could.

“Are you the teacher?”

There it was — yet again — another Bob moment for me. On the same steps he used to sit on between episodes with his glass of ice tea. I felt his presence.

As David and I started to talk, the Tennessee native with his southern accent, never stopped smiling.

He had a 3 a.m. wake-up call that morning to make the drive from Knoxville with plenty of tour time for the Bob Ross Experience before class.

As we continued chatting, I learned he just returned to Knoxville after living in Colorado. A big Bob Ross fan his entire life, this was his first painting class.

I made a new friend, before we even picked up a paint brush.

Inside the workshop for class, I could quickly tell he was eager — and maybe a bit nervous.

But as Bob says, “anyone can do this”. He and the others in class were off on our painting journey.

I am blessed to be a CRI® and to continue Bob’s legacy. It’s more than just painting, it’s meeting people and seeing how Bob encouraged, inspired — or in David’s case — helped him through difficult times.

David served our country for six years in the Army, before he was medically discharged after injury. He told me how he introduced his fellow soldiers to Bob.

“I’ll never forget the joy I had introducing Bob to a lot of different military people during my tours and just watching them in awe of what he could do,” David said. “He really did bring us a lot of peace during stressful times.”

David’s first tour of duty was for Operation Enduring Freedom and was stationed at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, East Africa. Camp Lemonnier is the primary base of operations for U.S. Africa Command in the Horn of Africa.

OEF was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism.

David’s second tour was for the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and was stationed at the US Embassy near Mauritania in West Africa.

As we continued into the foreground of Bob’s Peaceful Haven, Series 13, Episode 7, we learned it was also David’s birthday. His gift was to come to Muncie, Indiana and paint where Bob painted.

After a quick break, I led the entire workshop in singing “Happy Birthday” and thanked David for his service. We continued to chat for sometime after the other painters had left.

Through those conversations, I saw — and felt — what Bob means to David, all the while strengthening what Bob means to me. It was evident the Joy of Painting® and our mentor helped David though some really hard situations.

When I got home later, I was disappointed I didn’t gift David with my painting that night.

Less than 14 hours later, I was back at Minnetrista preparing for a Saturday afternoon class when a Minnetrista guide came up the wooden staircase and said someone would like to come up and thank me.

There was David in his Tennessee orange, after an early morning visit to pay homage to the Peyton Manning statue outside Lucas Oil Stadium, back at Minnetrista to thank ME.

No sir, thank YOU.

I’m telling you, this CRI® thing is a gift. It’s special.

David empowered me with his kindness and new-found confidence to paint. Shoot, he gave me more confidence as an instructor, too.

Before he left, I did give him my painting for his birthday, but more importantly as a thank you for his service.

Why? Because Bob would have. Happy Painting, my friend.

---