George Bush, formerly the President of the United States and the most powerful man in the world, is now a painter of the powerful world elite – albeit one of questionable skills. Dubya took to the Today Show to talk to his daughter, Jenna, about The Art of Leadership: A President's Personal Diplomacy, which features Dubya's paintings of the various world leaders he met during his presidency. 

"You may not think I am a painter," Bush declared. "I think I'm a painter." 

According to Bush, his entry point into the artistic world was an app called Penultimate. He believes that there might just be a "Rembrandt trapped in this body", although "only time will tell" if his art instructor can coax it out.  

During the interview, Bush revealed that deep down, Putin considered the US "an enemy" and ruefully cast his mind back to the time that the Russian leader insulted his Scottish terrier, Barney.

"I introduced him to Putin: Putin kind of dissed him,” Bush told his daughter. “‘You call that a dog?’ A year later, your mom and I go to visit Vladimir at his Dacha outside of Moscow and he says, ‘Would you like to meet my dog?’ Out bounds this huge hound, obviously much bigger than a Scottish Terrier. And Putin looks at me and says, ‘Bigger, stronger and faster than Barney.’”

Bush claims he was trying to channel the Russian leader's intense competitivness into his portrait. "I took it in, my painting kinda reflects that." Paint what you know, George, paint what you know.

Whilst Bush certainly isn't the finished article, he's definitely improved since he took up art. His early work on Penultimate is, to be absolutely frank, shocking:

If you'd like to see the ex-President's portfolio, his artwork is available for public viewing at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.