Bush daughter: Dad’s painting of newborn ‘looked like a little old man’

His paintings of world leaders line the halls of his presidential center in Dallas, but one of former President George W. Bush’s first attempts at a portrait of his granddaughter ended up looking like “a little old man,” according to his daughter.

{mosads}Jenna Bush Hager disclosed to ITK last week that Bush, who’s taken up painting since leaving the White House, had just finished up a piece of artwork in honor of her daughter’s upcoming birthday. “He did just paint my daughter Mila for her first birthday. Her first birthday is on Sunday and he did a portrait,” said Bush Hager, who is a “Today” show correspondent.

“I haven’t seen it,” Bush Hager excitedly exclaimed after emceeing the USA Weekend Make a Difference Day Awards in downtown Washington. “I’m racing home to see if the FedEx arrived. I think I’ll have to open it before she does.”

The former first daughter, 32, let it be known that this wasn’t her father’s first attempt at a portrait of his only grandchild. “He painted her when she was a newborn and she looked like a little old man,” she said.

But it seems 67-year-old Bush may have decided against another attempt at capturing young Mila’s image. On Monday, Bush Hager tweeted, “’Yesterday we celebrated this chick’s bday! My dad painted this for our ‘Duckie!’ Life is sweeter with her in it!”

The Twitter post was accompanied by a photo of Mila clutching a piece of wood with, not a portrait of her, but a duckling painted onto it.

Yesterday we celebrated this chick's bday! My dad painted this for our "Duckie!" Life is sweeter with her in it! pic.twitter.com/O5KB9R8aYt

— Jenna Bush Hager (@JennaBushHager) April 14, 2014

Bush Hager, who says she has yet to be a subject in one of the paintings, told us that art is her dad’s “new passion” and “he’s really excited about it but nervous.” More than two dozen of his portraits of leaders from around the globe are on display at an exhibit called “The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy” at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

During an appearance on “The Tonight Show” last year, Bush said, “I do take painting seriously. It’s changed my life.”

Despite the “little old man” baby portrait snafu, Bush Hager told us, “He doesn’t think he’s a very good artist. But I think he’s pretty good.”