George W. Bush Will Publish Book of Paintings In 2017

Former President George W. Bush plans to release a book of paintings, titled "Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors" and containing 66 portraits of the country's military service members, in February, 2017.

The book will include an introduction from Bush as well as forewords written by former First Lady Laura Bush and General Peter Pace.

"This is a book about the men and women who have been tremendous national assets in the Armed Forces — and who continue to be vital to the future success of our country," Bush writes in the introduction, according to the AP, which first reported the story. "The greatest honor of the presidency was looking them in the eye and saluting them as their Commander in Chief. And I intend to support and salute them for the rest of my life."

Bush has spent a good deal of his time out of office in front of the canvas. Some of his first paintings released showed himself in the shower, and other depicted animals. He also notably released a series of portraits of world leaders, including Vladimir Putin, as shown below:

"Portraits of Courage" will include stories written by the president of the individuals depicted.

The paintings themselves will be displayed at an installation in the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, beginning March 2, 2017, and lasting through October.

The book is currently available for pre-order. Readers can also pre-order a special "deluxe," signed edition which comes in a case for $250. All the profits will go to the president's center, which manages the 43rd president's library and museum and funds the Military Service Initiative. The initiative focuses on aiding veterans of the post-9/11 era and their families.

Photo credit: Department of Defense/Cherie Cullen