Hailey-Jai Damboise is a 14-year-old from Connecticut. She is already a talented digital artist who sometimes shares her work, like this animated self-portrait, on Tumblr.
Hailey-Jai Damboise
Last week, Damboise told BuzzFeed News she came across videos of someone trying to paint along to Bob Ross using Mario Paint and it gave her "a strike of curiosity to try it," she said — except she opened up MS Paint instead.
"I honestly expected the picture to turn out really, really horrible since I tried to stay with the normal palette in MS Paint," she said.
But as she kept "painting" on the classic Microsoft program, she really got into it.
Hailey-Jai Damboise / YouTube
"It felt oddly calming and actually really, really soothing," she said. "I had a lot of stress from school at the time."
Hailey-Jai Damboise / YouTube
Damboise said she got lost in the experience and wasn't looking at what she ultimately created.
Hailey-Jai Damboise / YouTube
"I completely forgot about [the picture] when I was done," she said.
When she finished and finally stepped back, she saw it looked seriously amazing.
mochachild.tumblr.com
"I was freaking out in confusion and awe because I've never drawn a landscape before," she said. She signed her Bob Ross recreation, "HOW."
Damboise then shared her "painting" on Tumblr, proud of what she pulled off but still in shock by how feasible it all was.
She attributed all of her success to Bob Ross being a "gifted god." Her post has gotten almost 100,000 notes in four days.
Damboise is still "confused" by this experience, but she strongly encourages other people to try it for themselves.
You might just surprise yourself, too.
imgur.com
...Or just leave it to 14-year-olds.
