Former President George W. Bush shocked the art world when he debuted his painting collection of world leaders in 2014. But his family recently admitted he was not always as skilled an artist and first started messing around with digital drawing before taking a stab at painting.
His wife, Laura, and daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, said his talent was developed using an iPhone app in the months after he left the Oval Office in January, 2013.
“He got the app on his iPhone, the Penultimate, and he drew these very funny stick figures,” the former first lady told NBC Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon Tuesday.
Hager even recollected of a time in her father’s life when he chose to share his thoughts through images instead of words.
“There was actually a period where he only communicated through his ‘art,'” Hager said, throwing up air quotes. “So he would send Barbara and me a text like ‘going on an airplane’ and he would do a stick figure of an airplane.”
Mrs. Bush said the stick images were simple and even included the family dog, Barney.
“He’d do a rectangle with his head and Barney painted on the bottom, like ‘good night,’ like them in bed,” Bush said.
His wife said she was ‘very supportive’ of his artistic endeavors and the family watched his hobby grow into a full-time passion.
President Bush debuted a collection of paintings that featured world leaders he had worked with during his tenure. “The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy” was put on display at the George W. Bush President Center in Dallas, Texas for a few months in 2014.
His family said he continues to paint, but did not disclose his next project.
