The George W Bush Presidential Center, Part 3

My last blog in this series is on the special exhibit at the Bush Center. The Exhibit is called "Portraits of Courage".

When President Bush finished his second term of office he read Winston Churchill's essay, "Painting as a Pastime". Winston became a painter after he resigned from public office, and after reading his essay, and with the encouragement from Mrs Bush, President Bush decided to give painting a try.

"Even though I was active in the post-presidency,"President Bush says,"I was antsy. I figured if painting had sated Churchill's appetite for learning, I might benefit from it as well."

Gale Norfleet, a Dallas artist who has a Master of Fine Arts degree from MSU was hired by President Bush to be his first instructor. President Bush took lessons from Ms. Norfleet for two years. She taught him the basics of painting.

This is a painting by Gale Norfleet of the President painting.

To further his knowledge and skills, and to become a better painter President Bush hired an artist who was the Professor Emeritus of Art at Texas Christian University in Forth Worth, TX. His new instructor's name is Jim Woodson. Mr Woodson taught Mr. Bush a technique known as "impasto". This is a technique where the paint is put on the canvas very thickly making the painting almost look three dimensional. He also encouraged Mr. Bush to use bigger canvases and bigger brushes.

Jim Woodson's portrait of President Bush.

President Bush's latest instructor, Sedrick Huckaby, is a young painter who was honored in the National Portrait Gallery's Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Sedrick was the instructor that advised the President to "Paint people you know, but others don't". That advise led him to

undertake "Portraits of Courage".

Sedrick Huckaby's painting of President Bush and his paintings.

President Bush started out painting animals, landscapes, fruit and world leaders that were in office at the time he was our President. He also did some self portraits and even painted Jay Leno and gave him the painting on the Tonight Show.

President Bush started painting animals, fruit and landscapes.

The first portraits he painted were of fellow World Leaders.

President Bush painted a portrait of Jay Leno and presented to him on the "Tonight Show".

Portraits of Courage is a "labor of love" from our Commander and Chief to the service men and women he was "honored to salute".  The George W Bush Presidential Center also houses the George W Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative that helps post 9/11 veterans and their families. The MSI  helps veterans make a successful transition from service life to civilian life, including the wellness of the veterans that are recovering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury. These are the Veterans featured in the "Portraits of Courage".

Below are a few examples of President George W Bush's paintings in the exhibit titled "Portraits in Courage".

Sergeant David A. Wright, U.S. Marine Corps, 2000-2004

Captain Kevin L Rosenblum, U.S. Army, 2004-2009

Sergeant Saul Martinez, U.S. Army 2006-2010

Sergeant Leslie Zimmerman, U.S Army, 2001-2004

It seems so amazing to me that someone that had no inclination to be an artist their whole life ends up painting everyday, and produces such beautiful artworks. You can see how his style and technique changes as his instructors changed. This was such a unique and wonderful way to honor the men and women who served this country so honorably. If you ever get a chance to see this exhibit, do not pass up the opportunity.