An Opening

An arched canopy of trees frames distant mountains beyond and a calm lake that mirrors the sky. A tree trunk cuts across the left side of the canvas, partially blocking the arch and extending beyond the top of the canvas. In the foreground, a trefoil golden skeleton key rests on the ground, evoking the symbolism of the Holy Trinity.

The carefully rendered landscape is interrupted by the presence of the key—an unexpected object that shifts the painting from observation to contemplation. The threshold framed by the arch is both earthly and divine, and the trefoil key becomes the invitation to step through.

See the watercolor study that preceded An Opening

An Opening — Watercolor Study