American painter Bob Ross’s first ever TV painting called A Walk in the Woods has sold for $9.8million at an auction in Minneapolis.

The painting, which has been housed at the Modern Artifact art gallery, went to an anonymous buyer. It was the first of more than 400 paintings that Ross created, painting them in just 30 minutes.

Ross, who was portrayed by Owen Wilson in a recent film, created his oil-painted canvas that displayed an autumn-like scene with a pond in the woods, along with his signature transcribed in red on the bottom left corner.

Ryan Nelson, the owner of the gallery said he acquired the painting from a lady who worked on his show and decided to buy it after the episode was taped.

‘What this piece represents is the people’s artist. This isn’t an institution that’s telling you that Bob Ross is great.

‘There are over 350,000 searches on Google every single month for Bob Ross,’ Nelson said. 

Ross's very first painting 'A Walk in the Woods' sold for $9.8million in Minneapolis to an unknown buyer

Ross’s very first painting ‘A Walk in the Woods’ sold for $9.8million in Minneapolis to an unknown buyer 

In his tutorial videos he gave step-by-step instructions that tied together with simple tools and the same colors of paint each week

In his tutorial videos he gave step-by-step instructions that tied together with simple tools and the same colors of paint each week

According to ArtNews.com, many of the pieces were donated to the Smithsonian Museum, to various PBS member stations, or kept by Bob Ross, Inc

According to ArtNews.com, many of the pieces were donated to the Smithsonian Museum, to various PBS member stations, or kept by Bob Ross, Inc

Nelson bought the painting last year and then gave it a ‘not for sale’ price of $9.85million, said publicist Megan Hoffman. 

The late painter died in 1995, but has made a huge impact on the art community with his soothing voice, as he guided viewers through a journey of peace and tranquility. 

He hosted the show from 1983 until 1994 and in each episode, he would speak directly to viewers whom he encouraged to paint with him as he created idealized scenes of streams backed by mountains, waterfalls and rustic cabins and mills — all done very quickly. 

Ross’s PBS series aired a total of 31 seasons and 403 episodes and in his very first episode he invited viewers to find the ‘artist hidden in the bottom of every single one of us’.

In his tutorial videos he gave step-by-step instructions that tied together with simple tools and the same colors of paint each week. 

‘There’s no secret to this. Anyone can paint. All you need is a dream in your heart and a little practice,’ Ross said in his first episode. 

Ross’s look has also become iconic in itself as he stood tall with his perm-like hair, mustache, beard, big glasses and button-downed shirts. 

Although his artwork is very well-known, they can be extremely hard to get a hold of, so when they are sold, there is no surprise they sell for a big penny. 

The oil-painted canvas displayed an autumn-like scene with a pond in the woods, along with his signature transcribed in red on the bottom left corner

The oil-painted canvas displayed an autumn-like scene with a pond in the woods, along with his signature transcribed in red on the bottom left corner

Ross painted 'A Walk in the Woods' in just 30 minutes. He painted all of his pieces in short amounts of time

Ross painted ‘A Walk in the Woods’ in just 30 minutes. He painted all of his pieces in short amounts of time

Actor Owen Wilson depicted Bob Ross in the film 'Paint' which can be watched on AMC+ or Prime Video

Actor Owen Wilson depicted Bob Ross in the film ‘Paint’ which can be watched on AMC+ or Prime Video 

Owen Wilson channeled his inner Bob Ross in a comedy movie called Paint which was released back in April. 

The film itself followed Carl Nargle, played by Wilson, who is ‘convinced he has it all: a signature perm, custom van, and fans hanging on his every stroke- until a younger, better artist steals everything (and everyone) carl loves,’ according to IMDb

According to ArtNews.com, many of the pieces were donated to the Smithsonian Museum, to various PBS member stations, or kept by Bob Ross, Inc. 

At the time of his death, Ross was worth an estimated $10million, and today, with inflation, he is worth $19.8million, reported Daily Express

Hoffman said that Ross’s popularity has soared in recent years, with 5.63 million subscribers to a YouTube channel featuring his shows. 

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