'Never paint your wife or your mother.' Bush's new book about his father includes a portrait he painted of his dad, the 41st president.
Bush tells CNN's 'State of the Union' that 'I think it's nice,' but his tough-to-please mother 'kind of wasn't' happy with it.
The 43rd president also painted his wife, Laura. The verdict? She didn't like it and neither did one of their daughters, 'so I just scrapped it.'
Well, maybe not.
'I may have saved it although they probably think I destroyed it.'Bush has said that an essay by Winston Churchill on painting inspired him to take lessons after leaving office.
Speaking about his artistic process, he told the Today Show: 'I was very proud to be standing next to a man I admire greatly.
'First thing I wanted to make sure is I got the noses right. I've tried to paint a gentle soul, and I did it. As for me, I kind of bumbled through.'
Last year, a hacker leaked his images of animals, landscapes and self portraits, such as him in the bath. I was annoyed,' Bush said. 'It's an invasion of one's privacy... nor do I want my paintings to get out.
The truth of the matter is my paintings are not ready to be released. I mean, I'm still learning, and I don't know if they ever will be or not.'
He also reflected on what others think of his work.
'People are surprised,' Bush said. 'Of course, some people are surprised I can even read.'
In March last year, an artist who taught Bush how to paint both animals and landscapes in a recent month-long course spoke out his skills as a late-in-life painter.
He had spent four weeks in private lessons alongside his sister-in-law in a home in Boca Grande, Florida where they improved their technique and expanded their artistic horizons.
'He has such a passion for painting, it's amazing,' said instructor Bonnie Flood.
