One wonders what painter and TV host Bob Ross, who sadly passed away in 1995, would think of his popularity today.

Ross, with his gentle voice, warm smile and Afro-style hairdo, was certainly well-known during his lifetime, hosting a beloved PBS show called “The Joy of Painting” from 1983 to1994. On that show, Ross would gently guide his viewers through painting a picture (most often a landscape punctuated by, as he called them “happy little trees” in the background), offering encouragement and referring to mistakes as “happy accidents.”

Ross’ voice, style and manner were all so comforting that he became something of a feel-good icon in the years after his death. And the image of Ross in his blue shirt and jeans holding his easel has become big business; right now, Bob Ross, Inc. is a $15 million a year business.

And you can enjoy one of those business ventures at State Of The Art Gallery & Pottery Studio in Cayce this Saturday. The gallery presents a one-day-only Paint Just Like Bob Ross class from noon to 4 p.m.

The class is taught by a certified Bob Ross Certified Instructor, Barbie Sawyer, who guides students through the process of learning the joy of painting.

Ross himself created the instructor program back in 1992, opening a workshop in New Smyrna Beach, not far from where he grew up in Daytona Beach, Fla. At the time, of course, Bob had been on PBS for almost a decade, and he was becoming a popular teacher on the road, too. Due to demand for his services, he eventually realized that he needed a place to teach his friends and family members to paint, so they could teach others in his wet-on-wet style.

The workshop offers three different kinds of in-person three-week certification programs to artists hoping to become Certified Ross Instructors: Landscape, Wildlife and Floral.

Once certified, these instructors are allowed to teach the Bob Ross Wet-on-Wet method wherever they choose to teach, provided they do things Bob's way, and with Certified Bob Ross brushes, paints and supplies, which can be purchased online at BobRoss.com.

Today, there are more than 1,500 Bob Ross Instructors holding local workshops every day that teach you the basics of painting just like Ross did on TV in just a few hours. And perhaps most true to Ross’ own personal philosophy, the classes are specifically suited for beginners; you need no previous experience to attend.

That openness to beginners was always a hallmark of the method Ross used: Beginners are just as welcome as experienced painters, and there’s enough room for everyone’s “happy little trees.”

Why not try to find a little of that magic this Saturday at State Of The Art?