James Fissel - Watercolor

At age 6 I watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth with my parents on television. Watching the coronation helped me imagine what it would be like to be in the presence of God singing…. “Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne…hail Him as thy matchless King thro’ all eternity.” One thing I remember was the Queen holding a sphere with a diamond cross on the top, thinking how weird that she would be holding something so heavy. Later I found out the sphere/Orb was a symbol of the queen’s sovereignty over the people of England.

During the middle ages the orb was used in symbolism to show God’s sovereignty over the universe. When I began painting four years ago all the spheres that I experience in my everyday life captivated me. My first watercolor was of the moon, my second, third and fourth was also of the moon. What was this fascination about? It was about understanding God’s sovereignty in the universe as well as in my own life, including my art. The orb has taught me a lot. When painting I find that I am closest to God. The orb has helped in building that closeness.

James Fissel (1946-2018)