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Sepia-toned Bob Ross–style woodland waterfall painted by Hope Blakely in 2017 during certification training with Doug Halgren in Florida.
Doug Halgren — Bob Ross workshop instructor
Our Story

Doug Halgren was Hope’s first formal painting instructor in her adult years. In 2017 she traveled to Florida for Bob Ross landscape certification, then returned in 2018 for floral certification. Doug’s practical, approachable teaching gave Hope confidence in wet-on-wet painting and showed her how quickly a student can begin making something recognizable on canvas.

Doug also became an important influence on how Hope teaches. His demonstrations made difficult subjects—especially florals and seascapes—feel far less intimidating. Many memories of those classes also include Doug’s helper Eddie, who seemed to spend whole afternoons repeating, “More paint, less pressure.” It stuck so thoroughly that Hope still uses the phrase in class today.

The connection became personal in an unexpected way: while Hope was in Florida for floral training, Howie found a boxer puppy back home. Hope joked that if they adopted him, his name had to be Doug. The name stuck. When the puppy’s sister also needed a home, she became Tulip—a fitting name while Hope was away painting flowers.

Doug Halgren

Bob Ross Workshop Instructor

2017–2018
More paint, less pressure — the phrase Doug’s helper Eddie repeated so often it still echoes through Hope’s classes.
Focus Areas
Wet-on-wet, Landscapes, Florals, Oils
View Their Work on Their Page
Webpage
Workshops and Events

Doug Halgren was Hope’s first formal painting instructor in her adult years. In 2017 she traveled to Florida for Bob Ross training, and during her third week of classes painted a sepia-toned woodland waterfall while learning the wet-on-wet method and working toward certification.

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Sepia-toned Bob Ross–style woodland waterfall painted by Hope Blakely in 2017 during certification training with Doug Halgren in Florida.
Sepia waterfall study — Bob Ross certification training
Their Work in
the Blakely Art Collection

I do not currently have an original work by this artist represented in the Blakely Art Collection. Their influence is included here because of the role they have played in my learning and artistic development.

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Read the Artist Profile

More Moments Together

One of Hope Blakely’s early 2017 seascape studies painted with Doug Halgren during Bob Ross training, a rounded composition Hope jokingly remembers as looking like a giant Easter egg.
Early seascape study with Doug Halgren — 2017
Small floral demonstration painting by Doug Halgren created for make-it-take-it style classes, showing the soft flowers Hope admired in his teaching.
Floral make-it-take-it painting by Doug Halgren
Bob Ross–style seascape with palm trees painted by Hope Blakely during 2017 training with Doug Halgren, one of the projects that helped make seascape painting feel approachable and fun.
Bob Ross–style seascape with palms — Doug Halgren class
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