Mountain Reflections

In "Mountain Reflections" Keith Brockie paints a personal journey through the seasonal rhythms of the mountain hare and the ptarmigan, two prime examples of Arctic creatures which have evolved strategies to survive a harsh and inhospitable environment. Through illustrations he shows in detail how they relate to the landscape and its various textures and how their cryptic spring and 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 and 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 and 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 and textures of red deer fawns, aggressive cock-red grouse and delicate dotterel chicks.
Necessary predators such as the red fox, golden eagle and 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 and ptarmigan as well as musk oxen, Arctic fox and lemmings. Throughout the volume the flora and faunas are reproduced with a sympathy and knowledge born of many hours, days and weeks working in the field.