
In Mountain Reflections Keith Brockie paints a personal journey through the seasonal rhythms of the mountain hare & the ptarmigan, two prime examples of Arctic creatures which have evolved strategies to survive a harsh & inhospitable environment. Through illustrations he shows in detail how they relate to the landscape & its various textures & how their cryptic spring & autumn camouflage is moulted to a thick white coat during the winter months. He witnesses the vagaries of the climate from icy winter scenes to unseasonable June snowfalls which threaten incubating birds & new-born hare leverets. By rearing a brood of captive ptarmigan he has been able to witness at first hand the growth from hatching of downy chicks to full winter plumage. His drawings & paintings for Mountain Reflections present an insight into an intriguing life cycle. However, Brockie has not ignored the other aspects of mountain wildlife. The book features detailed studies of the patterns & textures of red deer fawns, aggressive cock-red grouse & delicate dotterel chicks. Necessary predators such as the red fox, golden eagle & peregrine falcon complete the food chain, while the artist draws also on his experiences of expeditions to Greenland to feature the Nearctic counterparts of the hare & ptarmigan as well as musk oxen, Arctic fox & lemmings. Throughout the volume the flora & faunas are reproduced with a sympathy & knowledge born of many hours, days & weeks working in the field.