[applause] the. And good evening i have the honor to read executive director of the reagan president ial ecovation in thanks for joining us this evening. In waterfowl of those to defend our freedom around the world please join me with the pledge of allegiance off. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america. To the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Please be seated. Now that we have said the pledge all of those that are with the armed forces today whether active for retired please stand so we can show you our appreciation. [applause] on that note there are a few people live with like to recognize is this even inhouse starting with the board of trustees ambassador . [applause] an extraordinary supporter over the years. Mr. Freeman. [applause] one of and our remarkable trustees. Ben . [applause] into the whole family. [applause] the state assemblymen. [applause] our former congressman and his wife janice. [applause] all elected officials from the county of ventura. [applause] president bush treasury of secretary. [applause] and leslie retired army officer and his wife. [applause] but gary became paralyzed with the helicopter crashed while conducting operations in iraq 2008. But the eggs to the generosity of the Hero Foundation he can now walk unassisted. [applause] if you would like to know coming he will be at the library to right to share his story. We invite all of you to come back tomorrow at the same time for a very inspirational even. Even to. As the Real Foundation chairman prior to his chairmanship serving in the Reagan White House and after that he served as reagans first post white house chief of staff. I know of no other person who spent more time and effort working on behalf with nancy reagan over the years. Fred would never brag about the fact but it is a fact. Please agenda meant please join me to welcome to the stage fred ryan. [applause] that was a very kind introduction. Our special guest has been to the reagan president ial library several times. First of the honor of a Major League Baseball team then as governor of texas. The was back as a candidate for president of the United States and then back as president of the United States to dedicate airforce one and has been here as a former president and as the author of a of a popular book and tonight he is back as a painter. We can only imagine his next visit to the reagan library. [laughter] as we closely observe what our president s do after serving in the most powerful and demanding job on the planet they deserve to do things in the post president ially heres years. Some take on old and new challenges like one of my former president s became a skydiving and busiest and tell his wife put a stop to it to. [laughter] but there has been a few artists like grant and eisenhower and carter. But to our knowledge no president has ever attempted portraits. The 43rd president entered bravely into that territory because he was so moved of the sacrifices of the of Wounded Warriors to capture and demoralize their courage. I have to say i look at president bushs of the collection not only because of his talent and skill the subject matter and how he finds a way to take their strength and dignity and perseverance and patriotism to lift back up for all of us to see in a deep and intimate way. They feel the Warrior Spirit and hopefully this gives each of us of better understanding of these veterans and what theyre facing. So portraits of courage he tells the stories of more than 60 brave souls in the book to honor men and women in uniform, to highlight family members and caregivers who never leave their side and encourage those who may be struggling to get the help they need and help american support veterans to succeed. After reading the book no question they have achieved those goals and in doing so to reveal a bit of himself as well. Oscar wilde wrote every portrait is of the artist to on the color canvas reveals himself. Now is my great honor to introduce an artist through his depth and passion of 43rd president of the United States. [cheers and applause] sitdown. Thank you per you are eating into the air time. [laughter] thanks so much for inviting me back i also want to thank john, the trustees, it is good to see you again. I painted by an asterisk is better i we thought he had a face only a mother could love laugh laugh but she liked it. That was a huge relief. We have a full house we will get to as many questions as we can but the book is now available portraits of courage already atop seller on amazon or to go to the bush center directly invest father is the special deluxe edition personally signed by the president and all proceeds to emphasize of this book goethe the veterans cause this that the bush family supports. [applause] the first thing mr. President of the bond issue repay was to know when did you start painting . I was an art to agnostic. [laughter] that is a terrible admission to make but i get back from washington baroda book then another book trying to stay fit that the bush center in dallas but you have to understand as president you go 100 miles an hour the next day is zero. Had this anxiousness to keep moving. So i read mr. Churchills s. A. Painting is a pastime. He took up painting. Psa is worth reading. I said what the hell of pecans so cannot. [laughter] so i told that to laura she said sure. [laughter] i hired an instructor in she came over to the house what is your objective . I said there is a rembrandt trapped into this body. [laughter] so she came back realizing i was serious ip did cube then a watermelon was inexperienced was an unbelievable learning experience so i have been painting ever since. The first question asks portraits of courage history of painting as a child . Did your mom take the School Paintings on the french bread. Genscher was a finger painter i was not that interested but now i am. So it goes to show you can teach an old dog new tricks. When you get to be our age. [laughter] and you sit around there is only two topics of conversation. What madisons are you taking . How are your grandkids . Now they say you have a passion for painting. I am living proof that you dont know what you can do unless you try. So my call for the aging baby boomers is lay it out. Run to the finish line. Painting has enabled me to do that. The next question is what medicines are you taking and how your grandkids . [laughter] [applause] grand kids are great. It didnt think you had did in new. [laughter] here is a question that says you started painting farm animals and World Leaders what made you think about wounded veterans quick. What happened was my mother who is quite plain spoken heard was painting. By the way this was a woman who said i could not win running against dan richards. [laughter] so she said paid my dogs so i became a portrait painter i painted bob the cat and that party. [applause] then the instructor in dallas but the greatest thing in the instructor can do is set to new horizons for a student. My instructor said you should paid portraits of World Leaders. As a fledgling artist thinking he can actually do that . And did it. So i have to instructors now of one is that the house. He said the shipping the portraits of people that nobody knows. And it dawned on me about the warriors. At the bush center rehab Mountain Bike rides with wounded thats. Thats then they started to study their stories the first guy was a major turner wound was sitting with them at dinner i said well you are here wire you hear he said i cannot get out of my mind to see a buddy of mine killed. And painting him what must that be like in his mind . Then he liked rates meal of letter later but one of the problems we face is the stigma. They dont want to talk about it. That people will not understand me, i will get demoted, and never hired so he writes letters to say now he talks about it. It enabled me to start sharing my story. That this step number one to seek help. So i painted him again. I have only done that twice. That when you come through with a stigma to show that i have improved as a painter as well. [laughter] the next question is what is the process to paint your portrait . Are they paid urdu they get to see the improvement or do they sent quick. I paid 10 laurel one time. I thought it was pretty good at first was to english or to this or to that then i said forget it. [laughter] i did paid to my mother for her 90th birthday. It was a painting of her walking her two dogs on the beach in kennebunkport. But i painted her from the back after the yanks to that boris showed me. [laughter] i do paid from photos the idea have been to live his myself one of the instructors convinced me to paid myself looking in the beer because it is hard to smile while you look at the mir. So i did not run a by them i hope that they like it i was been nervous about some of them. Todd wrote a better about what it was like to be in the war. When i was painting todd he told us he had nice whats. Sweats. It is a dark painting and masoud one in tampa todays ago i said let me show you repainting. I said i am no longer the commander in chief. [laughter] you can tell me the truth. He liked it. [laughter] i think because it captured the in which that he felt so i wish i could repeat that. But the book is out. That question is which of the of Wounded Warriors was the toughest . They are all tough in a way. When news think about it because everyone of the men and women, have very physical wounds of war and all of them has dramatic brain injury. So to have such great pride. I am a baby boomer which means we and all more. A lot of people did not understand Minnesota Defense when the vet came home in a blizzard despicable so theyve were attacked and i made it clear real defend the country. It is utterly different attitude and to be a high honor. So i thought about the integrity and the courage of those will into volunteer. So i had a lot of pride to paint them. I guess the toughest was me with a the First Lieutenant to lose your lady in combat than wednesday bronze in the olympics this year in the triathlon and she said lets dance. I said no. I dont want to dance. [laughter] i am not a very good dancer. So the hard part was me because for most of the painting i will try to like alfred e. Neuman laugh laugh remember am . He ran for president. Mr. President , were do usually do your painting . Who cleans up after you and how long does it take you to do a portrait start to finish quick. Upstairs in our house. I built a studio there and at the ranch and one in kennebunkport. I have right can retreat to. I cleanup laugh laugh most of the time. [laughter] oil painting is not neat. I live it my palette to read sanded to blues and a two blue if you do scandal little nick on your think youre into the down on the white bed spread that is blair. [laughter] i am not a very good cleaner frankly. This took me one year to paint the 98 portraits a painting is never really done. Ill look get some of these to say i wish i could put them back but at some point you have to call if it quits so i live with these portraits for one year. Some are more complete than others. I would go upstairs to look at obrien to say i need to touch him up. Is a neverending process. I cannot answer that question. Have you ever been unhappy with one of your paintings and toss it aside quick. All the time. I will paint then think about it bank upstairs to scrape off. That is great about oil painting you can paint and scrape and paint and scrape i tried acrylics butted dry so fast there is no scraping. All the time. But with oil you can paint over it until you get it where you are comfortable. The risk questions beyond the painting. Anytime that some would call uncertainty but can you tell the and regeneration of our country to renew the sense of belief and optimism that reagan embodied . Read history. Somebody told me right after 9 11 you had the toughest presidency. I said not even close. One by Abraham Lincoln when the country was at war with each other . I just talked about a period of time that is so vivid still 50 years later. Was a tough period. But understand uh nation goes through tough times. There is a spirit that cannot be extinguished and why i am so optimistic about the future of the country. Billions water the uniform they got the ph. D. And life at a young age. Can we help them transition . They are the leaders of the future and that is with this project is about. Hoping the people take this skill set to transition to bring those skills into civilian life. There is a civilian divide to do with language Vice President the cuban relations says what is your skill set . Sniper. [laughter] i dont think we need one this year. [laughter] but if the person said i am disciplined and i work hard and dead team player and belief in personal responsibility that all of a sudden the civilian takes a different look so would challenge that we have as a society is to understand the military how they think but a lot of work has been done on that by the way. Understand the history of the country and you will see. There is a resiliency that should make people optimistic. But the rhetoric cant get so out of the and toussaint dont want to be involved in politics. They used to call Abraham Lincoln in eight. It is not the first time they have had namecalling in politics. Maybe names recall that be at one time. [laughter] i am not sure. We were so glad to see your dad make it to the super bowl. [applause] how is he doing and how is your mom question mayfair both great given their limitations. Dad can walk he is confined to a wheelchair and his spirit is joyful. I went to see dad three years ago that the icu unit at Methodist Hospital it is a really warm. So i said my library is open in three months. I sure will into there and whose voice was incredibly weak. Host i will be there. I left thinking probably not sure enough reopen tel library the most important thing for me it is nice to have the former president s with great weather and friends but dad was on the stage for crowfoot been deploying reminded me. He has a huge desire to live. I wrote a book and had to have started floating in aircraft a raft worried about the japanese japanese capturing and killing him for gromov is doing fine. She is shrinking and negative a desert voice gets louder. [laughter] she is a piece of work. [laughter] [applause] dont tell her i said that. A question from the audience. Why did you criticize President Trump but not criticizing president obama after 80 years . Cares what happens i am asked the question to i believe in free press . That answer is absolutely ashen every other american because it holds people to account power is very addictive and corrosive is central to your life. Therefore there needs to be an independent group of People Holding you to account. Soleil answer that question the headline is bush criticizes trump there should be the free and independent press but it should be accurate. [applause] i made the decision after my presidency not to criticize president obama and i feel the same way about trump. First of all, the office of the press it is more important than the occupant to. [applause] i believe that undermines the office of the of presidency. Second commander stand there is a lot of critics idol want to make the president s job worse matter the political party. It is a hard job if they are there secondguess saying it will make it harder. I want anybody who is president to succeed. We are in this together. I m understand sometimes my remarks can be construed as criticism but did is not meant to be after i finish this book tour you probably will hear from me for a while laugh laugh i like privacy. People say thank you for the sacrifice. It is sent to serve a country you love. But you do sacrifice anonymity. I cannot walk down madison avenue maybe i should say that better. Without drawing a lot of attention to the extent i can have privacy not to be totally inside yourself it is amazing how time moves which is scary when you are 70. The bush family is always viewed as the enforceability in politics are there less civil today and where do things change and why . I dont think so. I thinking has holy center reps or. There are campaigns of slander i think it is changed how people get their news. Believe it or not with the first blackberry president that was government issue at the end of bill clintons time. Because technology has changed so dramatically and so quickly as has the others before with the news. The three stations but now they get news and information from all over the of place. There is no accountability whatsoever. That lends itself to some pretty angry messages and the danger is people say i dont want to get involved and that is a huge problem. Are we better off than we were four years ago . Is the world the more dangerous place . It is. This may be taken as criticism but there is a lesson with the United States decides not to take the lead. And withdraw. That can be created when the presence reseats and that vacuum is filled with people who dont share the same ideology and the same since the of humanrights there is the isolationist tendency to that is not be fit the character of the country. [applause] i looked on twitter for the account of george w. Bush and it was described as a lot. Do you tweet and du recommended to mothers . No. That is a loaded question. [laughter] no i dont. If there is a twitter account under my name somebody else is running it. This is an interesting question. We do interesting things that the bush center deal the way to make news is if i criticize my successor or party. The fundamental question is how do get good news out . Like to twitter and instagram they are useful ways to communicate with a group of People Better interested in what theyre doing i do do face time. That is high tech isnt it . Cutting edge . With my grandkids. It is like watching a home movie every day. It is also. By the mayor during well. [laughter] and those medicines . Laugh laugh. To many to count to. From the eight years as americas leader which vice a vice would you think of those running in the future . My id vice in is no what you dont know and find people who dont and listen to them the job is different once you get an. It looks one way then you get into the oval office and it looks different. Trust me. But might advise is unless your w