ROCHELLE — In Andrea Swofford’s 3-D Studio Art classes at Rochelle Township High School, she challenged students to create relief cardboard sculptures from recycled cardboard boxes, taking inspiration from Bob Ross (artist whose image they made appear in 3-D), Louise Nevelson and Chris Gilmour. 

Relief sculptures with a base like cardboard use textures layered on creating depth. The assignment helped students understand that artwork depends upon layers and textures to create depth without help from color.

Bob Ross discovered oil painting while enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1960s. He studied the wet-on-wet technique, which allowed him to produce complete paintings in less than an hour. He became an instructor, eventually teaching a TV audience of millions on the public television show The Joy of Painting.

After dropping out of school in the ninth grade, Ross served in the U.S. Air Force. During his service, he took his first painting lesson at an Anchorage, Alaska United Service Organizations club. From that point on, he confessed he was hooked, a term he used frequently during his years as a painting instructor.