About the art:
This piece completes an ambitious triptych which I began at Celebration Orlando in 2012, when I debuted my artwork of Queen Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) in her full royal regalia from EPISODE ONE. For Celebration Anaheim in 2015, I followed up with an EPISODE TWO version of a similarly posed Padmé (now a Senator in the Galactic Republic) wearing her Naboo picnic dress. The circle is now complete, with the new EPISODE THREE version revealing Padmé in a very private moment at her home on Coruscant, and it is the most unguarded and intimate portrait yet of this strong and courageous leader. All 3 of these illustrations have portrayed Padmé in poses reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci s classic Renaissance portrait, Mona Lisa, or, as it is known in Italian, La Gioconda ( the smiling woman ). For centuries, civilizations have pondered the mystery behind the cryptic smile of Mona Lisa. Likewise, Padmé s subtle and enigmatic facial expression belies the hidden secrets of her forbidden marriage to Jedi Anakin Skywalker and the pregnancy that would ultimately lead to the birth of Luke and Leia, and provide new hope for the entire Galaxy.