LOS ANGELES – On Tuesday, three paintings by the beloved television personality Bob Ross fetched over $600,000 at an auction. These artworks are the first set of 30 Ross pieces going under the hammer to support public TV stations affected by federal funding reductions.

During the live event at Bonhams in Los Angeles, a tranquil snowy scene titled “Winter’s Peace,” painted by Ross in a 1993 installment of “The Joy of Painting,” was sold for $318,000 to a telephone bidder.

Auctioneer Aaron Bastian highlighted the charitable aspect of the sale, saying, “For a good cause — and you get the painting.” Reflecting on Ross’s enduring philosophy, Bastian added, “Bob would remind you that this is your world, and you can do anything you want.”

Another piece from the same year, a verdant landscape named “Home in the Valley,” garnered $229,100, while “Cliffside” achieved a sale price of $114,800.

These amounts include the buyer’s premium, a fee added to the closing bid at auction houses. The identities of the purchasers have not been disclosed.

Bids for all three paintings went well past pre-auction estimates of their value, which topped out around $50,000.

Three more Ross paintings will be up for auction at Bonhams in Marlborough, Massachusetts, on Jan. 27, with others to follow in New York and London.

All profits are pledged to stations that use content from distributor American Public Television.

Ross, a public television staple in the 1980s and ’90s, was known for his dome of hair and warm demeanor.

The special sales seek to help stations in need of licensing fees that allow them to show popular programs that along with Ross’ show include “America’s Test Kitchen,” “Julia Child’s French Chef Classics,” and “This Old House.” Small and rural stations are particularly challenged.

The stations “have been the gateway for generations of viewers to discover not just Bob’s gentle teaching, but the transformative power of the arts,” Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., said in a statement.

As sought by the Trump Administration, Congress has eliminated $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting, leaving about 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations.

Ross died at age 52 of complications from cancer after 11 years in production with the therapeutic how-to show, “The Joy of Painting.” The former Air Force drill sergeant was a sort of pioneer, known for his calm — and calming — manner and encouraging words.

Ross spoke often as he worked on air about painting happy little clouds and trees, and making no mistakes, only “happy accidents.”

He has only became more popular in the decades since his death, and his shows saw a surge in popularity during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic.