Trace

TRACE  (trās) :

verb

1. 1.

   find or discover by investigation.
2. 
   
3. 2. copy (a drawing, map, or design) 
4. by drawing over its lines on a superimposed piece of transparent paper..

noun

1. 1.

   a mark, object, or other indication of the existence or passing of something.
2. 2.
   
   
   a very small quantity, especially one too small to be accurately measured.

Oil Pastel on Paper

I found a great deal of inspiration from this week's word and poem, so instead of the usual exploration of portraiture via pen and paper, I decided to create an architectural landscape using oil pastels - a medium that I haven't used since I was a child.

The image portrays a view from the town of St-Paul-de-Vence in southern France. The town is unique in its cobblestone pathways that bend their way through a maze of small streets, contained inside a wall atop a hill in the French Riviera. It has some of the most picturesque views I've ever seen, and (not surprisingly) has become known for its artistic culture and rich collection of museums and galleries. 

My family used to travel to this part of the world every summer as my sisters and I were growing up. Each year, my parents would photograph the three of us on the same corner in this town, just a couple minutes away from where the view above can be seen. In revisiting our collection of photographs from each year, I have realized that they have become a tool to measure my childhood experiences. In each photograph, I am taken back to the time it was shot, and remember pieces of my childhood that were otherwise forgotten. I can reflect on how things have changed, and also how some memories reveal the personalities of my sisters and myself today. St-Paul-de-Vence and the collection of childhood memories that it holds has become a trace of my own life and my changing conception of personal identity.