Jesus' Tomb
by William Doughty
(Watercolor, 2000, 10" x 13")
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church - Wilmette, IL
whnndoughty@aol.com
 

 
In 1999 we fulfilled a lifelong dream in journeying to Jerusalem. Entering the tomb of Jesus was a deeply moving experience. Since there was a large crowd, we were allowed perhaps half a minute inside. But that was time enough for me to absorb the feeling of pure light. I was enveloped in a hushed aura, as though I were the only one present, alone with Jesus’ spirit and the soft, gentle and all-supporting light.
 
No photos. No sketches on-site. I did a few quick drawings, wrote a few notes. But I didn’t know how to convey my experience in paint. A few months later, the painting just “came to me” one morning. The story was to be the all-embracing light. I did the painting in about one hour. Actually, I feel that it really painted itself, I was just an agent.
 
The painting now hangs in the chapel of our parish church, St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Wilmette Illinois.