Story highlights Bush is rolling out a book of paintings

He's scheduled for a rare trip into the spotlight

Washington (CNN) Former President George W. Bush is back in the spotlight to promote a book of his paintings titled "Portraits of Courage," a collection of stories, 66 portraits and a four-panel mural that he painted to honor military veterans.

"I know each person I painted," the former President said in a wide-ranging interview Monday on NBC's "Today." "I was thinking about their backgrounds, their service, their injuries and their recovery."

After leaving office in 2009, Bush began to paint, but he kept his new hobby a secret. Inspired by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who painted extensively, Bush told friends and family that he found painting relaxing and that he hoped it would inspire others to try new things. Along the way, he hired an art teacher to help him with technique and, notably, told her he wanted to discover his "inner Rembrandt."

"It keeps me active, so I'm not on the couch chewing potato chips all the time," Bush told "Today" host Matt Lauer. "It's one of the great learning experiences."

Daniel Casara was a sergeant in the Army from 1994-2008.

Bush's paintings became public after his sister Dorothy Bush Koch's email account was hacked in 2013 and several images were posted by a hacker known as "Guccifer." Eventually, it was revealed that "Guccifer" was Marcel Lazar, a Romanian who pleaded guilty to hacking the email and social media accounts of nearly 100 people, including political figures, business leaders and celebrities. He was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016.

Read More