When politics and art collide - George W Bush’s paintings

These are portraits of veterans former president George W Bush painted and exhibited in 2017.
#1

They were accompanied by a book which tells the story of each veteran.

#2

He was inspired to start painting after learning that it was Winston Churchill’s preferred hobby.

EDIT: omg autocorrect changed “preferred” to “perverted” in my original draft!! Mortified.

#3

This exhibit was in Dallas, TX at his presidential library.

#4

James Williamson, US Air Force Chief Warrant Officer Three, in front of a portrait George Bush did of him

#5

I haven’t read it, but it was described at “surprisingly sophisticated and warm” with “curiosity, compassion, the commitment to learn something new and the humility to learn it in public”.

#6

The world learned of “Dubya’s” new hobby when the Russian hacker Guccifer hacked emails he’d sent to his sister, Dorothy. This was the first glimpse.

#7

Sergeant Michael Joseph Leonard Politowicz

#8

Mural of wounded US military veterans

#10

Scott Adams, veteran

#11

#12

This is from The Onion and NOT a Bush painting.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theonion.com/george-w-bush-debuts-new-paintings-of-dogs-friends-g-1819595637/amp

A self portrait of 43.

#13

This painting of Saddam Hussein is NOT by George W Bush. It is actually painted by Bruce Handy. Vanity Fair published (as far as I can tell) a mock piece featuring this painting and others to draw attention to the Iraq war and other dark marks on 43’s presidency.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanityfair.com/news/2013/04/george-w-bush-paintings-new-photos/amp

#14

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

#15

George’s dog, Barney. I like how he signs the painting “43”.

#16

Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

#17

This portrait of Osama Bin Laden is another mock piece by Vanity Fair. I can’t paint, but judging by the number of fakes on the internet, his style must be easy to imitate.

#18

The Dalai Lama

#19

Jay Leno

#20

Crown Prince Of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

#21

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany

#22

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

#23

Mexican President Felipe Calderon

#24

45’s bestie!

#25

41

#26

Sauce:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/12/george-w-bushs-book-paintings-praised-art-critic-tops-bestseller/amp/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2013/2/8/3966678/hacker-reveals-george-w-bush-self-portraits

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/george-w-bush-displays-portraits-military-veterans-180962363/