Oil on canvas

I have always considered stag beetles to be symbolic animals. When they appear, I am safe, as if they were witches' gems. I met the stag beetle depicted in the painting at the edge of a forest, standing upright on a small rock, arms spread out as if praying. I am not a practicing believer, but in that moment I felt something was present, there was a spirit, there was purity. For me, this painting symbolizes hope.