During George W. Bush’s post-presidency pursuits as a painter, he’s mostly focused on live subjects. Lots of dogs, the occasional cat, one of himself taking a shower. But he’s moved on to darker pursuits, according to Maureen Dowd, who spoke with him at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in December. “He said that since his heart surgery, he was spending a lot of time painting skulls. Animal skulls, Laura quickly interjected.” Animal skulls! That is somehow so disturbing, especially given the changeover from live animals. By the way, Bush told Dowd that he and former Vice President Dick Cheney never see one another, and he “asserted that he had never been that close to his vice president and the age difference precluded a friendship.” That’s kind of dark, too.
