The Soul Of The Desert

Soul of the Desert presents paintings by Philippa Nikulinsky of plants and animals from the Australian deserts. Most are botanical but birds and other animals feature, from bull ants to monitor lizards. Stephen Hopper contributes a general introduction and introductions to each section, which focus on the geology and broad ecology of the Australian deserts as the setting for the flora and fauna illustrated. This is informative and enjoyable, and one almost wishes he'd had room to write at greater length. As it is, however, Soul of the Desert is primarily for those who enjoy botanical illustration.