George W. Bush recently sat down with his daughter and Today correspondent, Jenna Bush Hager, to discuss his paintings of various world leaders.
The segment aired Friday on NBC's Today show.
The paintings are part of an exhibit, "The Art of Leadership: A President's Personal Diplomacy," at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
It includes photographs and other memorabilia from Bush's visits with the leaders.
Bush said he chose leaders he admired to be his subjects, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
During the interview Friday, Bush recalled introducing Russian President Vladimir Putin to his beloved Scottish terrier, Barney.
"I wanted to make sure the last chapters of my life are full, and painting, it turns out, would help occupy not only space, but kind of open my mind," Bush said.
Bush is extremely humble about his artwork.
"I'm not a great artist...I don't want people to think I'm a great artist," he said.
The former President said he was annoyed when his paintings were first revealed to the world by a hacker.
"It's an invasion of one's privacy. And yeah, I was annoyed." Bush said.
The exhibit also contains a self-portrait and a rendition of his dad.
