[applause] i pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Please be seated. Well, now that weve said the pledge and saluted our flag, i would like it if all those who are with the armed forces here today, whether you would be active or retired as well as their families would you please stand we might show you our appreciation. [applause] thank you. Thank you so very much. On that note there are a few other people that i would like to recognize in the audience this evening. Like to start with our board of trustees, president bushs ambassador to the court of st. James, bob tuttle and his wife maria. Ambassador. [applause] and extraordinary supporter over the years of bush family, of president bush, mr. Brad freeman. Brad . [applause] one of our newer but remarkable trustees, mr. Ben sutton. Ben. [applause] from the reagan family, michael and cameron. Michael, cameron. [applause] state assemblyman dante acosta. [applause] just a few more. Our former congressman and his wife janice. [applause] all of our elected officials from the county of ventura and city of simi valley. [applause] president bushs secretary of treasury rosario marine. [applause] and lastly retired u. S. Army officer gary lindh and his wife mara. Gary. [applause] i would be remiss if i didnt mention that gary became paralyzed from the waist down when a helicopter crashed while conducting operations in iraq in 2008 but thanks to the generosity of the infinite hero foundation, he can now walk through the assistance of an exoskeleton. Yeah. [applause] if you would like to know what an exoskeleton is, gary will be at the Reagan Library tomorrow night for an event to share his story. We invite all of you to come back tomorrow at the same time for what i know will be a very inspirational event. Thanks for coming, gary. [applause] now to begin our conversation with our special guest this evening is another of our foundations trustees, mr. Fred ryan. Fred has served i have a better applause line than that. Fred has served as the reagan foundations chairman for 22 years. Prior to his chairmanship fred served in the Reagan White House from 1982 to 1989 and after that he served as president reagans first postwhite house chief of staff. I know of no other person who has spent more time and effort working on behalf of ronald and nancy reagan over the years than fred ryan. Fred would never brag about that fact but it is a fact so i will brag for him. Ladies and gentlemen, if you would, please join me in welcoming to the stage, mr. Fred ryan. [applause] thank you, john. For a very kind introduction and welcome, everyone. Well our special guest tonight has been to the reagan president ial library several times. The first as owner of a Major League Baseball team. Then as governor of texas. He was back as a candidate for president of the United States. Was back as president of the United States to dedicate air force one here at the Reagan Library. Has been here as a former president of the United States and is the author of a popular book, decision point. Tonight he is back as an accomplished painter. We can only wonder what he will be on the next visit to the Reagan Library. [laughter]. As americans we closely observe what our president s do when they leave the white house of the after serving in the most powerful around demanding job on the planet, they certainly deserve to spend time doing things in the postpresident ial years they enjoy and want to do the most. Some take on bold new challenges and exciting adventures after leaving office. In fact one of my favorite former president s became a skydiving enthusiast after he left office, until his wife put a stop to it. But like our special guest tonight, there have been a few artists among our former president s including ulysses s. Grant, Dwight Eisenhower and jimmy carter. To our knowledge no president has ever attempted portrait ture. Our 43rd president ventured bravely into the territory because he was so moved by sacrifices of our american warriors and began a challenge of capturing and independent mortgage alizeing their courage on canvas. I have to say as i look at president bushs collection of portraits in awe. Not only because of his talent and skill but because of his subject matter. How he finds a way to take their strength and their dignity and their perseverance and their patriotism and lift it up for all of us to see in a deep and intimate way. In these paintings we feel the essence of the warrior spirit. Hopefully this work gives each of us a better understanding of the issues facing these heroic veterans. So in this new book, portraits of courage, president bush paints and tells the stories of more than 60 brave souls. In the book he states his goal is quote, to honor our men and women in uniform, to highlight family members and caregivers that bear the burden of their sacrifice, encourage those who may be struggling to get the help they need and to help americans support our veterans and empower them to succeed. After reading the book there is no question that the president has achieved those noble goals. In doing so, i believe he is revealed a bit of himself as well. Oscar wilde wrote, every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist. It is rather the painter who on the colored canvas reveals himself. Well now it is my great honor to introduce a talented american artist through his paintings further revealed the depth of his compassion and character, the 43rd president of the United States. Pete george w. Bush. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause] thank you, mr. President. Thank you. Thank you, fred. Sit down. Thank you all, please. Youre eating into airtime. [laughter] fred, thanks for your kind remarks. Thanks so much for inciting me back. Also want to thank john, the trustees, michael, good to see you again. And my buddy brian flum well talk about in a little bit. Brian is here. I painted him and i asked his mother what she thought of the painting . I always thought he had a face only a mother could love. Anyway [laughter]. She liked it, which is a huge relieve. Elton, good to see you again. Anyway, ready to roll. All right, mr. President , you can see we have a full house. Were streaming this on line and on television. There have been a number of questions submitted about the book, about your painting, and a few other subjects. Well try to get through as many as we can. I want to mention to those here and online, the book is now available, portraits of courage. Already a top seller on amazon. If you go to the burke center directly at bush center. Org the book is available straight from the source. I saw there is special deluxe edition personally signed by president. Yeah. Important to emphasize, all proceeds of the book go to the all the programs that the bush center is serving. [applause] mr. President , the first thing Everyone Wants to know, when did you start painting . Well, i was an art agnostic for most of my life. [laughter]. Terrible admission to make, i know. I get back from washington and, i wrote a book. Then another book. I am trying to stay fit. Im working a lot at the bush center there in dallas but it wasnt enough. You have to understand when youre the president youre going 100 miles an hour and the next day it is zero. I just, i had this kind of anxiousness to get, to keep moving and to learn something. And so i read Winston Churchills essay, painting is a pastime. I am a big admierer of churchhill. He was a great leader and i took up painting and this essay is worth reading. I basically said what the hell, this guy can paint, i can paint. [laughter] and so i told that to laura. She said, yeah, sure. I hired an instructor, gail. And she came over to the house, she said, she said what is your objective . I said, gail, there is a rembrandt trapped in the body. She came back realizing i was serious. Then i paint ad cube. I painted a watermelon. It was liberating experience. Not only liberating but ive been painting ever since for five years. The first question is from betina, she asks, did you have a history of painting as a child early in your life and did your mom paint many of your School Paintings on the refrigerator . Im sure i was a finger painter. I am just not interested in the house. Now i am. It goes to show you can teach old dogs a new trick. When you get to be our age [laughter] 70. Youre sitting around with your pals, there are only two topics conversation generally, what medicines are you taking . [laughter]. And how are your grandkids . My buddies say, man, you got a passion for painting. I said, yeah, you ought to try it. I cant paint they say. Funny i said the same thing until five years ago. Im living proof, to tell you dont know what you can do unless you try it. And so my call for aging baby boomer, leg it out run to the finish line. And painting has enabled me to do that. Next question, is what medicines are you taking and how [laughter] i didnt think you i didnt think you had it in you. Very good. I try my best. Question from janet, said you started painting farm animals and world leaders. When did you decide to paint Wounded Warriors . Who was the first around why . Well, thank you. I actually, what happened my mother, who can be quite plainspoken, heard i was painting. She basically said you cant paint. [laughter]. By the way this is woman when i told her i was going to run against ann richards in 1993 said, you cant win. I said i damn sure can paint. So she said, paint my dogs. So i became a pet portrait painter. [laughter]. For a period of time. And i painted bob the cat, bernie the cat. Barney. And, so, and then i an instructor in dallas, one of the greatest thing any instructor can do is set new horizons for a student. My instructor brought over the artist, you ought to paint portraits of world leaders. Im sitting there as fledgling artist. This guy thinks i can actually do that. I got two instructors. One of them is at the house. I understand you painted these world leaders. You ought to paint portraits of people knob knows. It dawned on me i ought to paint these warriors who i do know. So the at bush center we have Mountain Bike rides and golf tournaments with these wounded vets, like brian is a biker. I got to know brian. I started studying their stories. The first guy i painted was major chris turner. I was sitting next to turner at a dinner, and i said, why are you here . Because i cant get out of my mind seeing a buddy of mine killed. And i paint from pictures. And or photos. As im painting turner, im thinking what that must be like in his mind. First one in there. He then writes me a letter later. As a result of standing up at arvetes, much more talking about the invisible wounds of war. One of the problems we face, there is huge stigma. Brian is telling you working with a lot of troops. They wont talk about it. They think people wont understand me. Or i wont get promoted. I will never get hired. So they keep it inside which often times leads to selfmedication. Turner says stands up and talking about has enabled my to start sharing my story more and more which is step one to seeking help. So i repainted turner. I only repainted two people in the book. He. I repainted the same portait again. I show people how one can improve to deal with the stigma to increase health. I i am previoused as a painter as well. The next question from isabella follows up what you are saying. What is the process of painting one of our portraits . Do they sit in the studio . Do you paint from photos or do they get to see and approve it . No. Have you ever had somebody who was unhappy subject . Yeah, my wife. [laughter]. I painted laura one time. I thought it was a pretty good painting. [laughter]. First it was too anguished, too this, too that. Finally said forget it. I did paint my mother for her 90th birthday and it was a painting of her walking her two dogs on the beach in kennebunkport, maine. But in order to deal with the angst laura showed me i painted mom from the back. [laughter] i do paint from photos. I never, only person i painted live is me. So, one of my instructors convinced me painting myself looking into a mirror. It is a pretty grim looking expression on the face, it is hard to paint and smile while youre looking in a mirror. And so, no, i never run it by. I didnt run it by the vets. I was hoping beyond all hope they liked it. I was nervous about some of them. I wasnt nervous about brians. I think its a good painting. There is guy in there named todd. When you read the book, todd wrote us a letter what it was like being in war. When i was painting todd, he had told us he had night sweats. I was thinking about what it is like to have night sweats. And so, its a pretty dark painting in a sense. I saw todd at mcdill in tampa two days ago. Let me show you a painting. Man it is really good. Todd, im no longer the commanderinchief. [laughter] you can tell me the truth. He liked it. It was a great relief for me. I think he liked it because i captured the anguish he felt. But he doesnt feel it anymore. I wish i could repaint him but you know, books out. [laughter]. Question from meredith. She asks which of the Wounded Warrior portraits was the toughest one for you to paint . Theyre all tough in a way. When you think about it because everyone of these men and women have, some of them have very physical wounds of war, all of them one way or the other, pts or traumatic brain injury. When you think about that, it was hard to do. On other hand you know, i have such great pride knowing them. I am a baby boomer. Which means vietnam war. When it was like when there was a draft and a war. A lot of people didnt understand it. There was huge angst. When the vets came home, and when the vets came home we were treated despicably. When we get attacked, i made it abundantly clear we would defend the country. Millions volunteered. Totally different attitude. People saluted in the face of danger was a high honor. I thought about the integrity and courage of those who were willing to volunteer to wear the uniform. So painting them, i had a lot of pride in painting them. And you know, i guess toughest with me and Melissa Stockwell dancing. Melissa stockwell, first lieutenant, first woman to lose her leg. She is tremendous athlete. Wins the bronze medal at the paraolympics in the triathlon. After the bike rides i asked, lets dance. She said i dont want to dance. Im not a very good dancer. She convinced me to dance. The i convinced melissa to paint her. The hard part was me. For most of the painting i looked like after fred e newman. Alfred e. Neuman. Remember him no. He ran for president. What me worry. Yeah. Mr. President , caroline from maryland asks where do you usually do your painting . Who cleans up after you, and how long does it take you to do a portrait from start to finish . That is a great question. I build upstairs in a studio at the ranch and i added one in kennebunkport. So i have places where i can retreat to. And, i clean up. Most of the time. [laughter] laura is a neat nick. Oil painting is not neat. I spread like thalo blue, i limit my palate to two yellows, two reds, thalo blue and a white. Teaches you how to mix colors. Thalo blue, powerful blue. A little nick and dont get it totally clean and lie down on a white bed spread, thalo blue. And so [laughter]. I am not a very good cleaner to be frank. This took me a year to paint 98 portraits. A painting is really never done. I look at some of the portraits and say, gosh i wish i could put them back on the easel and keep painting. At some point you have to call it quits. I lived for these portraits a year. Some more complete at others. I would go upstairs and look at obrien. I said i think i need to touch him up a little more. It is never ending process. So i cant answer that question. Well, michael in greenwich asks, have you ever been one ever your paintings tossed it aside. All the time. Is that right . Yeah. A lot of times i will paint and get in bed, think about it. Hustle upstairs and scrape it all off. That is the great thing about oil painting. You can paint scrape, paint scrape. I tried acrylics but it dries so fast there is no scraping. [laughter] and, yeah, all the time. You can keep painting over it, can get until youre comfortable. There are questions beyond the painting, more to come back to. A question from betty in washington, d. C. She writes in a time some would call uncertainty, what can you tell the Younger Generation of our country to do to renew the sense of belief and optimism in america that Ronald Reagan embodied. Read history. I remember somebody telling me after 9 11, you had the toughest presidency. I said, not even close. How about Abraham Lincoln when the country was at war with each other . I just talked about a period of time that the in my mind still, 50 years later. And, it was a tough period. What she has to understand is that our nation goes through divisive and tough times. But there is something to unique about us. That is why im so optimistic. Optimistic about the future of the country. One reason im optimistic, millions war the uniform. They have phds in life. At a young age. So the, back on subject here. So the fundamental question is, can we help them transition . Because theyre the leaders of the future. And that is what this whole project is about. Helping people take the skillset they learned in the military and transition to bring those skills into civilian life. And, there is a real challenge. There is a military civilian divide. A lot of it has to do with language. Guy applies for a job. Vice president of human relations says, what is your skillset . Sniper. [laughter] i dont think which need one this year. [laughter] but if the person had said im disciplined, i work hard, im a team player, i believe in personal responsibility, i can take pressure, all of a sudden the civilian take as different look. So one of the challenge west have as a society is understanding how the military thinks and the military understands how civilians think. A lot of work has been done on this by the way. Im optimistic, yeah. Kids have, kids have to understand the history of the country. And you will see. There is a resiliency to us that should make people optimistic. My certain is, that the rhetoric in politics can get so out of hand these days that good people say i dont want to bet involved in politics. It used to be that way. They used to call Abraham Lincoln an april. This isnt the first