I find his (terrible) art weirdly endearing. Also embarrassing.

Have mercy on us, W.

To be honest (not that I'm any expert on art), I think he is a better painter than he was a leader. But what do I know?

I wish he was painting those from his prison cell.

NEW ICON

I'd suggest someone send him Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, but I'm pretty sure he's drawing on the only half-brain in his possession.

The sunset painting heralds him, decisively, as the successor to Frederic Edwin Church.

At least he's painting. I might hate the dude, but it's sad that people belittle his creative outlet.

He's not pretending to be a professional artist, he just likes to paint. That is commendable.

I hear tell there's a masterpiece waiting to be unveiled: 'Paul Wolfowitz With Comb'.

Also, what @5 said.

@6: Awesome!

That spotted horse is like a fever-dream mashup of the okapis he might have seen at Dallas Zoo and the bunker-buster bombs he hurled at Saddam.

I guess we could fairly call this outsider art.

I actually kind of love these paintings. I think they're a fascinating insight into the man. They seem simple, distant, lonely. He's got a distinct style which is more than you can say for a lot of amateurs. There seems to be a lot of honest in them.

I love the hand made Jesus sign and the weird babushka-dolls in the background of one of the photos.

Am I the only one who recognizes the "horse" as a mule?

SHEEPDOG IS TOTALLY A SELF-PORTRAIT

The next time I have to explain why I hate Outsider Art and Art Naïf, I will show them this.

Yes, @17, you're the only one. We should all strive to be as perceptive as you. And, God willing we are ever blessed with your immaculate skills of equine detectability, we should all comment about it just so everyone else knows that we know.

That's the poignant thing - they're not that bad. Imagine if he'd followed this as his calling, rather than driving the country over a cliff.

They look like something done by my nieces or nephews when they were young, so at first it gives me an oddly sweet and innocent feeling. Then I notice that he signs them all "43", and I realize that even in his amateurish paintings, he's still a smarmy asshole.

It would make the ultimate conversation piece. I want one.

@9 - I'm with you in thinking that he doesn't deserve to be dumped on for his painting. I don't know that I would go so far as to say it's commendable, though. I would just say this is in the "here is a thing that exists" category of stuff in the world.

@20:
God, you're a pompous ass.

I found it strange that the author of that article identified it as a horse since it's so fucking obviously a mule and was wondering if anybody else thought the same.

Bill Clinton starts the Clinton Foundation. W does... This.

So long as this keeps his hands busy and off anything that starts a war, tortures people, trashes an economy, or potentially affects the public, why jump all over him? It's not like he said its great or even meant to put it out there. Shallow cheap shot.

@20, 25: Flanders & Swann - The Gnu Song

@28:
I remember that! Thanks for posting it.

@25:
Yeah, I agree, that's a mule.

I am glad he is finally free do do what he wants after years of being a puppet for Cheney, Rove and daddy Bush.

The dog behind bars (Bar?) is a German Wirehair Pointer or GWP.

Relax @25, I'm just busting your chops.

@28 Brilliant. Thanks for posting.

@17 and 25, I thought a horse/zebra hybrid (more for the shape).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebroid

It's so tempting to psychoanalyse the paintings and their surroundings to death. Is that dark mutt gazing at the luxurious White House lawn from behind prison bars a representation of what George felt as President? Are all the dog pictures simply a reflection of his love for the low-maintenance, ceaselessly loyal creatures? Is the painting of the golf course with two tiny men in the distance a reflection of his isolation, or of the sheltered serenity that he feels when he's playing a round with a friend? And all the pictures of Western landscapes and sunsets and mulecows? Obviously he's a Texas rancher to the core. The fact that he signs his paintings "43"? He's apparently still proud of his time as President (even if not even his party wants to remember). And yeah, JenS, I noticed the Jesus sculpture. He's truly a devoted Christian, in his own form. Overall, I find an odd sadness to his paintings, but maybe that's just because I'm listening to darkly depressing music right now.

More than anything else, these accomplished hobbyist paintings confirm what I long ago concluded: Geoege W. Bush is a perfectly nice, decent guy who had no business being President, a perfectly good front for President Cheney, the real sick bastard who should be in jail.

Those grapes kick ass. I'm more impressed with his artistic ability now than before. Again, I'm not thrilled that people are using this as an opportunity to snigger about him and seek catharsis for his terrible presidency. It's his private hobby, he never put them out there.

He paints a hell of a lot better than I can. Not that this is really saying much.

I always thought that deep down, Bush thought he was doing the right things. He always struck me as a decent guy who simply was in way over his head, and was being used by people a lot smarter and less moral than him. Still a moral and personal failing, but I found it hard to hate the man the way a lot of people did.

I certainly hated Cheney, Rummy, and Ashcroft though. No problems there.

One Naked Mole Rat Cam post was enough!