The project begins

This is the first day of this project. I was fascinated by the West Harnham Chalk Pit the first time I wentthere. It is like a mini landscape in itself, with hills, cliffs, tracks and many plants, trees and birds. Lumps of chalk and flint lie about in heaps, a bit like unmelted snow. Maybe it is because of the similarity to snow that the whiteness draws me. I have always been intrigued by white paintings.

Looking it up on the internet this morning I found that it is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) for the different chalk layers in it and the amazing collection of fossils found when quarrying it which are now in the National History Museum.

So this afternoon, in beautiful sunshine, Mike and I walked to the chalk pit along the Harnham road. It took about 20 minutes to get there. I was glad to have Mike with me as the path up to the pit was a bit lonely. We only saw a man with a dog and 2 young men, one on crutches which did not seem to disable him from climbing to the top.

I took lots of photos, did one sketch and staggered home with a huge lump of chalk, one of flint and a piece of burnt wood. The 'M' in the photo was drawn in my blood having cut my finger slightly on a sharp sliver of chalk. The pit was warning me to take it seriously!!

The plan is to use these to make art works - prints, drawings, paintings and possibly a 3d piece.