As a beginner painter, I hoped Mr Ross would help free up my artistic side
Olivia Sheed is an audience writer and journalist at ChronicleLive. She joined in January 2025, and writes about nearly anything North East audiences are interested in, specialising in film, technology and travel.
The venue of a nightclub for a painting class is definitely unorthadox(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
I’d like to say I’m an artsy person, but that translates to the odd pottery painting night and a habit of doodling in the corner of notebooks. Unfortunately, artistic talent eludes me.
When I saw that a Bob Ross painting night was coming to Newcastle, I was excited. I have fond memories of watching the Joy of Painting on a late night, just watching Mr Ross work. There’s a reason he has captivated audiences nearly as long as he was alive.
Not only is the man talented, but he’s compassionate. And it was that spirit of learning that always endeared me to watching reruns of his show, even if I’d never intended on picking up the brush.
But seeing The Bob Ross Happy Little Paint Along advertised in the Grainger Market, I thought this could be a unique experience to review. An alternative night out, and at the end, I’d have something concrete out of it. Good or otherwise.
I went to sign myself up, and it was only then that I saw the location: Digital Nightclub. Yes, that Digi, the establishment in Times Square that played host to many a drunken night out, littered with freshly 18 students drinking VK and vodka Red Bulls like the world was about to end. The event runners knew this too, as they asked at the start, “Who hasn’t been in Digi since they were 18?” and about 25 of the 50 in the room shot their hands up, including me.
This was to be the venue for the Happy Little Paint Along, with the dulcet tones of Bob Ross coming over the speaker system and the bar stocked with Bob Ross-themed cocktails. This gave me pause, but if anything, I thought no matter what happens, it would be a good story.
Upon arrival, the red lights of the bar and entryway parted to reveal a space where there is normally a crowd of drunk and happy people dancing. Instead of a dance floor, there were rows upon rows of benches, each space outfitted with a generous serving of paint, multiple brushes, some water, and a canvas. Digital wants to expand beyond just being a nightclub, it seems, and this seems like a pretty interesting way to do it; consider me a fan.
I took my seat and looked around, pleasantly surprised by the age range of attendees. There were a few people in their 20s, including myself, as well as a few people who looked to be in their 60s, who may very well have watched Bob Ross when he was first broadcast.
The supplies we were offered to create our Bob Ross work of art(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
The event opened at 7pm but officially began at 8pm. In the interim, you were invited to buy drinks from the bar. I opted for soft drinks since I had to be at work the next day to write this very article, but the custom Bob Ross cocktail names sounded as nice as the drinks undoubtedly were.
As the painting began, it was a quick process indeed. I’ve never been more impressed with Bob Ross in my life. The man is a master of his craft, undoubtedly. I, on the other hand, not so much, but I got something out of it I’d happily stick in my office. Many who worked at Digital, too, seemed to agree, as the bar staff took part between intervals, their effort looking much better than my own, I must say.
Here’s the thing about painting in a nightclub: there’s a distinct lack of light. If you could see the state of the dance floor after a night of boozy boogying, it would no doubt ruin the illusion a little. This meant the primary light came from the stage, illuminating the back of the canvas rather than the front. I did have to pick up my painting and turn it around a few times to see if my colours were on. I spotted a few other attendees combating this by using their phone torches.
If I’m to give one bit of advice, it’s to remember what you’re drinking when you go. If you’re sober, you’ll likely get a bit of art you’d be happy displaying on an empty wall, but it will take a lot of focus. Mr Ross is very quick, the event compensating by playing each portion of the episode three times to make sure you’ve gotten your happy little trees as happy as possible.
For £16, there’s no doubt that you get a good amount of value. You get all the supplies you need to paint, the chance to win the Bob Ross-themed prizes, and the canvas to take away at the end. I personally wouldn’t mind paying a little more for better art supplies.
For example, at the beginning, Ross always coats his canvas in liquid white paint for the signature wet-on-wet method, while we were told instead to lightly wash the canvas with water. I’d happily make the price a little higher to have access to more paints and bigger brushes.
This is what I came home with, something potentially to be admired from afar but much better than I could have done myself(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Would I go again? Absolutely. Everyone in the room was completely on the same page, asking, “How in God’s name is the man painting that quickly?!”, drinking cocktails, and having a good time. The environment of Digi just added to the incredulity of it all, and with another event in September coming up, I say keep an eye out and keep your paint brush handy.
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