It all started with a very practical and quotidian errand: I needed to go to the market and do some cooking. I had been away for almost a week and the cupboards were bare. It was raining, so I took my umbrella and walked the two blocks to Maxx’s on 20th Street. I bought as many veggies as I could carry home while balancing my umbrella to keep dry. In the two bags were an eggplant, some zucchini, a red pepper, an avocado, baby spinach, 3 onions, 2 tomatoes, mushrooms and a head of red cabbage. Oh, and some bananas and blueberries.
Putting it all away, I realized I already had a head of red cabbage in the fridge. At first I was annoyed at myself for my lapse of memory (another senior moment), but soon realized it was silly to be annoyed. I needed to be inventive and think of something to do with all that cabbage. My light-bulb moment occurred: I would make some red cabbage coleslaw. Yummy stuff…and I was in a cooking mood.
I sliced the cabbage in half to prepare it for shredding and was blown away by what I saw. No, I didn’t see an image of a religious figure…but I was filled with amazement and awe. Call me crazy, but I do see things in a rather quirky way. After all, this blog is called “Quirky Reflections” for a very good reason.
I could see the earth’s stratified layers, trees, wizards, animals, rivers, highways, dress ruffles, church domes, ocean waves…an incredible assortment of visual treasures! Like Proust, who experienced all of Combray in a teacup, I saw the world in a cabbage. Quite unlike Proust, however, whose memory led him to Combray in a teacup, my forgetfulness led me to experience a vast wonderland of images.
There was incredible beauty within those gorgeous deep pink/magenta leaves with glowing white centers! Layer upon layer of leaf edges formed a swirling, undulating pattern–a labyrinth of inspiration! I grabbed my camera and began photographing the beauty of that cabbage. I now want to make some drawings based on the forms within forms of those cabbage leaves.
You never know where or when inspiration will tap you on the shoulder. But here’s a secret: the next time you go into the kitchen, take your camera, journal or sketchbook with you. Your muse might be waiting for you!
The content of this blog, including all photographic images are copyright, 2007 by Janet Towbin
2 responses so far ↓
Jennie // January 9, 2009 at 12:38 am |
Never read any of your blogs before, and stumbled across this whilst looking for something very unrelated!
But, GOOD WORK. Glad some other people can see beauty in simplicity.
Although i thought the first one looked sort of like a path through a mountain.
I love to stumble across inspiration.
Jennie // January 9, 2009 at 12:39 am |
Yay put my email in wrong -.- typical