A Presidential Second Act: Bush 43 Shows Off Latest Artwork
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — George W. Bush, the man who has previously drawn artistic inspiration by painting himself in various poses in the bathroom, decided to paint some pictures of his world leader friends.
The 43rd president unveiled his latest masterpieces Friday, which include an Edvard Munch-like Vladimir Putin and a wistful Angela Merkel.
Check out Bush’s paintings of world leaders here.
Bush has said he was inspired to paint by reading Winston Churchill’s Painting as a Pastime, a book written by the sturdy British wartime leader about his hobby.
“You know what the interesting lesson is though, that you can keep learning in life,” Bush told ABC News last year of his decision to take up art. “I mean, some guy one time said to me, ‘Man, you deserve to rest.’ And I don’t want to rest. I want to live life to the — I want to follow the example of President 41 [his father] and, you know, sprint into the grave.”
Mark Updegrove, author of Second Acts Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House, and director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, told ABC News he’s not surprised that Bush has excelled with a paintbrush.
“He is an enormously disciplined person and when he focuses on something, he really endeavors to do well at the task,” Updegrove said.
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