Is Everyone Painting Now?
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Back in 2013 when a Romanian cab driver (aka “Guccifer”) hacked into George W. Bush’s AOL account and posted two self-portraits by Bush—in the bathroom no less—the ensuing media frenzy was enough to make even the most exhibitionist of TikTokkers blush, let alone a Republican former-president. Apparently not so, in an uncharacteristically savvy move, Bush held an art exhibition of his work instead.
Eight years might as well have been a world, or fifty lifetimes ago. Today, those same critics have compared Bush to Winston Churchill, another politician-painter—and even Grandma Moses. This week, he releases his second art book with 43 portraits of immigrants. Against all of 2013's expectations, Bush’s private hobby has set the stage for a comeback (Michelle Obama’s hug of approval didn’t hurt either), a new way for him to commune with the greater world.
And, after a year of the pandemic, he is not the only aspiring artist on the A-list. Much like the quiet Bush must have experienced post presidency, the lockdown has given rise to dilettante Delacroixs everywhere. Celebrities from Katie Holmes and Sharon Stone to Hunter Biden have taken to their canvases in a flurry of brushstrokes.
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There is a long history of celebrity-artists, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan, and Tony Bennett all painted. Prince Charles does water colors and Lucy Liu regularly auctions off her artwork for charity. Hunter Biden made Page Six headlines in December when it was announced that he was planning to have a show at Georges Berges Gallery (who did not respond for comment) at some point this year. The biggest contingency of artistic amateurs, however, comes from actors who found themselves with extra time and creativity to spare.
“When theaters shut down, my partner, Marissa, saw me in deep despair and asked, ‘Okay, what do you need?’ I impulsively answered, ‘Watercolors,’” says Greg Hildreth, who starred as Olaf in the original Frozen musical and was getting ready to co-star in Patti Lupone’s Company when Broadway went dark. Until rehearsals resume, Hildreth has been occupying his free time by painting pet portraits for his friends. "Painting became one of the things I was able to appreciate about this time, along with stillness, home cooked meals, and quality time with my partner."
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In January, Katie Holmes revealed on Instagram that she had been painting for over 10 years and was spending much of her time during the pandemic in front of the canvas. Then, in February, Sharon Stone posted her watercolors, with the caption that she had progressed from the adult paint-by-numbers she had picked up at the beginning of the lockdown last year into abstract art. Of course, let’s not forget Britney Spears—rumored to be in lockdown in Las Vegas for years now—who took up the craft in 2018, selling a childlike painting of flowers for over $10,000.
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Other creatives are expanding their oeuvre as well, celebrity hairstylist (and aptly named) Michael Angelo of Wonderland Beauty Parlor, recently finished a multimedia project of painting and then photographing lilies.
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Is this a passing trend or a modern renaissance? When asked if he felt it was a fleeting fancy, Angelo answered, "I am just getting started." Prime those white walls, gallerists!
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