George W. Bush: ‘Never Paint Your Wife or Your Mother’ — artnews.com

The Los Angeles Times reports that George W. Bush gave an interview to CNN on Sunday in which he discussed his painting. Bush’s portrait of his father is featured in the new book. In the CNN interview, he advised artists to “never paint your wife or your mother.” He revealed that he in fact painted his wife, Laura Bush, and that she didn’t care all that much of the result. Actual artists, of course, tend not to follow that dictum, which runs contrary to the impulse that created a number of masterpieces. There’s that one — oh, what’s it called? Right: Whistler’s Mother. And some artists basically paint nothing but their wives and girlfriends. Beginning to think this guy might not be so smart.

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