Man. You ever just get those weird moments when all you can do is just let your mind go off on a whirl and the next thing you know you're a totally different person?

Yeah, well. That's not what I mean to talk about. I've never been one for the artsy-####zy talk. But I did have some cool reflections about how the TV ad "End of Wars" motivated me to pick up digital painting... again...

I can't remember a time when I've been so driven to art. It usually happens when I get emotionally tugged. And that's just what has happened.

I remember seeing the news that Steven Spielberg had wept at a showing of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I thought to myself, "Now that's a little extreme." Blah, blah, blah... Pretty soon, I had stumbled upon a TV ad on the official site, StarWars.com, entitled "End of Wars". As soon as the music had started, I felt the tug. I saw the face of Anakin Skywalker looking about for peace as his heart slipped into darkness. I saw the face of Padme wanting to help him but not knowing what to do. The dark undertones of Palpatine's seduction then cross over into the moments when Anakin is distraught even when with his wife. Then as the vocals chime in once more, we see the burning Jedi Temple. Palpatine shouts in the background, "The Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire!" Obi-Wan Kenobi struggles against the troops he had just fought with, but now have turned on him. As the choir reaches its crescendo, Anakin has fallen. He marches to massacre. He stares out onto Mustafar, having realized that he cannot find peace anywhere, and that it's his responsibility to make it, for his Empire. Then I see the face of Padme yet again, full with sorrow at the loss of her love. Anakin accuses her, "The Jedi turned against me, don't you turn against me!" Padme is crushed. And as the galaxy has descended not into Anakin's peace, but utter chaos, we are told goodbye by the familiar faces of C-3PO and R2-D2. The Saga is Complete.

Yoda tells Obi-Wan, "The boy you trained, gone he is. Consumed now, by Darth Vader." Obi-Wan doesn't want to believe him, doesn't want to hear him. I don't want to hear it. Anakin Skywalker, this hero we've grown to love, has been stripped away from us, by himself being deceived. I feel like a father watching his son give his life over to corruption and destruction, but wanting to reach out to grab hold of him, set him straight, yet I'm received with hostility and murder. I can't do it. Obi-Wan can't do it. Star Wars itself is ending on me, and I can't do a thing to stop it.

I swear, I'm gonna have to bring a box of tissues with me to Episode III.

In the meantime, with this huge emotional tug, it's pushed me to art like never before. While Anakin and Padme's relationship have been keenly featured in my artwork, I've reached out to recap moments I've enjoyed. I've been painting like crazy. 10 pieces in 3 days, and I'm still painting!!

I've already made a bunch of cool paintings, like:
Donna di Amore
Be Mindful of the Living Force
The Elusive General Grievous
and so much more.

My entire gallery can be seen here as long as I keep this momentum.
deviantART: jacemathem