Couple finds out their $60 painting bought in 1980 is a Bob Ross original sold by the man himself

A $60 painting that was an impulsive purchase from a strange seller turned out to be an incredible find for a Minnesota couple. Back in 1980, Larry Walton purchased a framed painting of the Alaskan northern lights in a winter night sky, which reminded him of his bush pilot days. About 21 years later, the couple got the shock of a lifetime when they found out that the painting came from the famous painter and host of "The Joy of Painting," Bob Ross, and it was worth $10,000. 

A hidden treasure

According to a Brainerd Dispatch report, Larry bought the painting from a peculiar artist at a fair in Anchorage. The dazzling northern lights in the dark winter sky struck Larry as he got into a friendly conversation with the seller. However, after a few years, the framed painting of the wooden cabin in a valley failed to meet the needs of their new home and was hung in the garage. It remained there for several decades, exposed only to artificial light and preserved in almost museum quality atmosphere. 

Finally, when the couple decided to move to a retirement community, the painting was re-discovered by their son-in-law, Chri Kovacs. He took a closer look at the artwork and had a hunch that he had seen it somewhere before.

“I recently got a (YouTube) recommendation for a painting regarding Bob Ross and northern lights,” Chris told Brainerd. While he didn't watch the video, he thought it was the same one as the painting hung in the garage. On his way back home, he called his brother-in-law and asked him to check if he was right. Turns out Kovacs was right and it was indeed a Bob Ross original. 

The painting featured in the 13th episode of the eighth season of “The Joy of Painting,” which aired on PBS. In the episode, Ross shares complete instructions to paint the scenery as he turns a blank canvas into a masterpiece.

Since the show only debuted three years after Larry bought the painting, he had no idea that the strange seller at the fair was Bob Ross himself. “He was an interesting guy to talk to, he’d been a lot of places, and I’d been to a lot of places,” Larry recalled.

A fortune stashed away in the garage

While the Waltons were shocked to find out about the origin of the painting, their minds were further blown away when they got a valuation for it. Ryan Nelson of Modern Artifact art gallery in Minneapolis showed interest in buying the painting and paid the couple $10,000 for the incredible find. As per the report, the painting ended up on eBay where it was listed for over $18,000. 

Nelson shared with Brainerd that buying and collecting Ross paintings had been a mission of his life. His Minneapolis art gallery was responsible for buying and selling more of Ross’ work than any other in the world. He further added that unlike most of the other artwork he purchases, Ross’ paintings are typically bought from the original owner like in the case of Larry.