- After retiring from the military he made a promise vowing never to scream again.
- His wife, Jane, died during The Joy of Painting (1983)'s 20th season in 1993. He dedicated the series to her.
- He wore jeans and a casual shirt on-screen to keep the date of the filming obscure, imagining that simple clothes would always be in style.
- He made each painting on "The Joy of Painting" thrice. The first was painted beforehand and used for reference, the second was the one he painted on-screen, and the third was a more detailed version he painted afterwards for photographs for his books.
- He gave away every painting he made after getting his show, almost all of which went to charity auctions.
- Retired from the Air Force. (1981)
- He learned how to paint by watching the TV show "The Magic of Oil Painting" and then being taught personally by the show's star, William Alexander.
- He was never paid for his show, instead using it as way to promote his teaching business.
- Had a pet squirrel named Peapod.
- Is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park Gotha, Florida. USA.
- After learning to paint from the TV he made a living painting Alaskan mountainsides on the inside of novelty gold mining pans for tourists.
- He disliked the idea of having his paintings displayed in an art museum or gallery.
- He was missing the top joint on his left index finger because of a carpentry accident as a child.
- He never turned down being interviewed but he only did a handful in his lifetime, both because he was rarely asked and he was hard to find anyway, so there isn't a lot actually known about him.
- His hair was naturally straight. Money was tight after the first year of him being an art tutor, so he had his hair permed to save money on weekly trims. He grew to dislike his Afro later, but his image required him to keep it.
- Filmed his television show at the PBS station in Muncie, Indiana.
- Has a son, Steve Ross.
- He is referenced in Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). In one sequence, Ralph is getting turned into an internet meme, and one scene shows Ralph sporting an Afro and painting.
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