Salt Lake City library hosts Bob Ross paint-along — and those darn ‘happy little trees’ are harder than you think

Quinton Block brushed a dark gray blob of paint onto his canvas and cringed.

“Woof!” the 10-year-old shouted, assessing his attempt at an evergreen. It just didn’t look happy enough.

“It’s a sad little tree,” Block decided.

Similar assessments echoed around the room along with a few smiles. “I give up on trees,” joked one woman. “That one’s OK, but that one sucks,” said another.

The group — 21 mostly first-time and amateur painters — met Saturday for one of the Salt Lake City library’s most popular new events: a Bob Ross paint-along.

Participants followed along with an episode of the late Ross’ public television show, “The Joy of Painting” (though, at times, it was more like anguish). While he swiped out a masterpiece on the screen, calling out instructions in his soft, calming voice, the hardest part for the crowd seemed to be replicating the artist’s iconic “happy little trees.”

“They’re so simple, it’s hard,” he declared in the video. The group laughed in nervous agreement.

The participants used just three colors — white, brown and blue — to create Ross’ “Shades of Grey” winter landscape, a scene that ended up looking much like the freshly snow-covered trees outside the library’s windows.

“It’s a happy little storm,” said Block’s dad, Randy, as he painted clouds onto his canvas. His apron, which he brought from home, had a much brighter palette: It was covered in little red chile peppers while his wife, Lori, wore one that said, “Greatest BBQ chef in the world.”

Ross, who died in 1995, has become somewhat of a celebrity in recent years, particularly among millennials, with his permed afro and funny remarks. He’s been made into Chia Pets, revived on YouTube and the two librarians helping with the events wore his face on their T-shirts with his catchphrase, “No mistakes. Just happy accidents.”

“I had to add more trees to hide my plenty of happy little accidents,” said Kali Wickens, 26, who squinted as she held up her masterpiece. She used to watched Ross’ show with her grandparents when she was a kid. “He’s a cult figure,” she added.

The library’s Sweet Branch, which hosted Saturday’s free event, has held three more before that and plans to do even more. About 140 people are on the waiting list. And more branches are picking up on the paint-along.

Becci Dean, an adult services librarian, said some individuals have gotten creative with their paintings. One man, she noted, transformed his snow-capped tree into the Tower of Sauron from “The Lord of the Rings.” At Saturday’s gathering, one woman said her painting looked like a swamp that President Donald Trump might want to drain. Her boyfriend added stars to his sky reminiscent of Vincent van Gogh.

Many jealously peered over at their neighbors’ work while Ross encouraged them to add “a fantastic big old mountain” and “an almighty sky.”

Dean walked around, complimenting the art and reassuring some of the more stressed-out painters. Ross’ 22-minute video might look effortless, but it took about two hours for participants to complete.

“You have to remember: He has practiced this several times before filming,” she said.

The event “hits at nostalgia,” said Andrew Shaw, a spokesman for the library. “We’re doing this as often as we can.”

At least two more paint-alongs are planned for the Sweet Branch in February and March with all of the materials provided at no-cost. And patrons can check out copies of “The Joy of Painting” to practice at home.

Christine McDonough thinks she might try it again — if only to perfect her trees.

“Acrylic is cheap, but your pride?” she said with a laugh, “That’s another thing.”