A gallery in Minneapolis exhibited 'A Walk in the Woods', the first of more than 400 works of art created by the late artist on his program The Joy of Painting.
Ryan Nelson, owner of Modern Artifact gallery, said the work was created by Ross in the first part of the program.
Mr. Nelson, who grew up in a small town, said he was first introduced to art by the TV host, known for his red curly hair and soothing voice.
SOLD TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE CHANNEL
The first season of The Joy of Painting aired in 1983 and was filmed in Falls Creek, Virginia. Ross' first painting was sold a few months into the season to raise money for PBS, the local TV station where the program aired.
The woman who first bought the painting kept it in her home for almost forty years. She then contacted Mr. Nelson, who had sold hundreds of Ross's works.
ABC News reported that publisher Megan Hoffma confirmed that the asking price was much higher than other Ross paintings.
ITS POPULARITY HAS SOARED IN RECENT YEARS
The broadcaster also noted that Ross' popularity has grown a lot in recent years, as there are currently 5.63 million subscribers to a YouTube channel featuring episodes of the program.
In each episode, Ross created 30-minute masterpieces such as mountain ranges, seascapes, forest landscapes and, yes, the famous happy little trees.
The show ran until 1994. Tragically, Ross died the following year.
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