Image via Complex Original
Just over a year ago, a bold hacker who went under the pseudonym Guccifer, delved into George W. Bush's emails and found the former president's newest hobby—painting. The fact that Bush had taken up the extracurricular activity wasn't as much of a shock as some of his subject matter. While Dubya's paintings mostly consisted of portraits of his pets, still lifes of fruit, and landscapes, a few of his works were uncomfortable self-portraits of Bush in the shower.
Since the initial reveal, Bush as grown to take pride in his artwork. In December, he was spotted showing off his paintings to Hillary Clinton on his iPad, and in November he revealed his plans to paint all of the foreign leaders he worked with during his presidency.
Today the fruits of Bush's labor are on view at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas for an exhibition called “The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy.” The TODAY Show aired a first look Bush's oeuvre yesterday. Get caught up on Bush's post-presidential pastime with 20 Mind-Blowing Facts About George W. Bush's Painting Career.
RELATED: George W. Bush Reveals His Paintings of World Leaders on the TODAY Show
He never intended to show his paintings until a hacker leaked them.
Bush never intended for these intimate paintings to be seen by the general public, but the hacker Guccifer showed them to the world, direct from Dubya's inbox. He said, "It's an invasion of one's privacy and, yeah, I was annoyed. And nor do I want my paintings to get out."
He didn't like museums before he started painting.
According to The New York Times, "The man who never much cared for museums – he famously rushed through the legendary Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in 30 minutes flat – told a private gathering the other day that he now can linger in art exhibits for hours at a time studying brush strokes and color palettes."
He first painted dogs, cats, and fruit before moving on to landscapes.
He shared that sometimes he'll spend up to three or four hours painting in his mancave turned painting studio.
He thinks the initial self-portrait he did of himself looks like Alfred E. Neuman.
In the beginning of the interview with his daughter, he says, "This is an improvement from the first one I did of myself, the one that makes me look like Alfred E. Neuman."
He's also painted Jay Leno (and gave Leno the painting on his show).
After his email was hacked, Bush went on The Tonight Show to talk more about his work. He brought a painting he did of Leno and gave it to him.
He was partially inspired to take up painting by Winston Churchill.
Winston Churchill took up painting when he left office, and George decided to do the same. He references Churchill's essay, "Painting as a Pastime," as motivation to "make sure the last chapters" of his life were "full." He says that painting has opened his mind.
If you had told him 10 years ago that he'd be showing an exhibition of paintings, he wouldn't have believed you.
He says you also couldn't have convinced him that his daughter would be working at NBC and interviewing him.
He initially experimented with the drawing app Penultimate two years ago.
Laura Bush says he was painting "very interesting stick figure characters" and sending love notes to his family with the app.
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Laura Bush's friend, artist Pamela Nelson, encouraged him to get painting lessons.
His teacher is Gail Norfleet, a noted Dallas painter.
He painted himself in his bathroom (in the bathtub and the shower) to shock his instructor.
He says, "I found it very interesting the first painting that came out was the one I painted of myself in the bathtub. I did so because I wanted to kind of shock my instructor."
He painted his series of world leader portraits in "the spirit of friendship."
Since he didn't brief his subjects beforehand, Bush says with sensitivity, "I hope they take it in the spirit in which these were painted, the spirit of friendship. I admire them as leaders and was willing to give it a shot."
He didn't tell any of these world leaders that he was painting them.
His expectation? "I think they're going to be, 'Wow, George Bush is a painter!'"
But he DID tell Tony Blair, who "kind of brushed it off, so to speak."
"That was an art pun," says Bush. Also, #burnnnn.
Vladimir Putin "dissing" his dog inspired the painting Bush made of Putin.
A wall label next to Putin's painting tells the story Bush told his daughter in the NBC interview-"Our dear dog Barney, who has a special place in my heart, Putin kind of dissed him. Like, 'you really call that a dog?' A year later, your mom and I go to visit Vladimir outside of Moscow. He says, would you like to meet my dog? Out bounds this huge hound, obviously much bigger than a Scottish terrier, and Putin looks at me and says, "Bigger, stronger, and faster than Barney." Anybody who thinks 'my dog is bigger than your dog' is an interesting character, and that painting kind of reflects that."
Laura Bush says that the painting of her "needs work."
One things he's learned, he says? "Don't paint your wife."
He painted his father as "a gentle soul" for the forthcoming exhibition.
When asked about his favorite painting in the exhibition, Bush says it's the one of his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
He doesn't think he's a great artist.
He says, "I'm not a great artist. I don't want people to think I'm a great artist. On the other hand I did want to refresh the Bush Center. I want people to come and visit us. We view ourselves as a place where people can learn."
But he still showed off his work to Hiillary Clinton and Michelle Obama on an iPad last year.
Not only did his painting begin with an iPad, he uses one to show his work to people....like Hillary Clinton on Air Force One last December.
He also thinks there's a Rembrandt trapped inside his body.
He told his instructor that it's her job to unleash the Rembrandt trapped in his body. Good luck to her!
He expects to die painting.
He says, "I expect I'll be painting til I drop. And my last stroke, and I'm heading into the grave, I wonder what color it will be?"