Making memories out of nature

Consy Goonetilleke harnesses unique talents for varied crafts:

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

There is a saying that potpourri is to a herbal lover what cooking is to a gourmet. It is a natural way of capturing and bringing the essence of your herbal garden indoors. The aroma of fresh herbs, flowers, spices and essential oils is long lasting and the creations will trigger memories for a lifetime.

Creativity had been her forte from her childhood. As the youngest in a family of 10, Consy Goonetilleke believes that her talent for innovative creations is embedded in her blood. Her father, Willy Gunasekara, was a land proprietor and her mother Vivien Senaratne, was a master seamstress. Consy’s grandmother, Lucy Senaratne, had been a highly acclaimed musician while her aunt, Frances Senaratne, was a gifted pianist. Though Consy had her own share of pursuing a tuneful path in her schooldays, it was the skill for innovative design which finally got her into the limelight.

“I was talented in all my aesthetic subjects. I used to clinch the prize for all-rounder in aesthetics at Holy Cross College, Gampaha,” said Consy who hails from Ardiambalama, Negombo.

She began with painting and then turned to sculpting. Her first sculpture, she recollects, was of a person she had seen in Gampaha. Her art teacher was so impressed with her work that she had taken the creation home.

Consy completed her higher studies at the College of Fine Arts, Heywood ( Kelaniya University), before taking up teaching at Vijaya College, Matale. She was transferred to the Veyangoda Maha Vidyalaya, St. Paul’s Milagiriya and then to Presbyterian College, Dehiwala before retiring early.

“During my stint at the Veyangoda Maha Vidyalaya I used to borrow clay from the clay department to do sculptures. I moulded a lot of figures during my free time,” she expressed adding that the Principal of the school gave her a small room to engage in creative ventures.

“My neighbour, Tilekawardena, attached to the National Design Centre introduced me to a Japanese who made kilns. I had a bottle shaped kiln but it was not sufficient for my work. They made a kiln for me and I even exported creations I made using that and took part in trade fairs,” she said.

Queried if she is still engaged in pottery, Consy stated that she neither has the room nor time to engage in the work.

“I still possess a vivid imagination to design novel items but I gave up the time consuming activity after my daughter’s marriage. Now my time is spent mostly with my grandchildren.”

Never a person to laze around, Consy had looked elsewhere for inspiration. She had found it in her garden in the form of a teak leaf.

“I picked it up and started meddling with it before leaving it behind. On the following day on returning to the spot I saw that the leaf remained rolled in the same manner in which I have left it. This triggered an idea which took shape into the leafy sculptures which I do today,” she explained her discovery of the new art form.

According to Goonetilleke the leaves have to be soaked in a mixture so that they will not become too brittle. The creations can be preserved for a long time, up to 10 years under due care.

“A potpourri doll or herbal art is a novel and exclusive gift item to present to your loved ones. They are all made of natural handmade products taken out of herbs, shrubs and trees. The creations are not mere ornaments but have a medical value as well. You can add a few drops of sweet smelling herbal oil into the leafy sculpture and your home will be enveloped in the fragrance,” she said.

Consy had experimented with a variety of creative techniques including hand printing and shell designs. She pioneered icing decorations on cakes in a standing position in 1975.

“They were advertising icing sugar. I made a structure of a Perehara and gave a huge monument of an elephant to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike,” she said adding that her husband, Lionel Goonetilleke, encourages and supports her creative streak.

She had displayed her work here and abroad. Her paintings on canvas with oil and acrylic which have been exhibited in Scotland will be included along with her potpourri, leafy sculptures and pottery items in her second exhibition ‘Vision of an Artist’ which will be held on November 29 and 30 at the Harold Peiris Memorial Art Gallery, Lionel Wendt Gallery.

“Many people have commented that they have not seen anything like my leafy sculptures before. I took a batch of my creations to Scotland but before boarding the plane I had to pay the Forest Department and the quarantine.

I was waiting for the plane at the airport when I was asked to get the quarantine report. I had to rush back at midnight to get the report and I was almost in tears because there was no one to help me and I did not know how to get the work done. To make matters worse it was pouring but fortunately some of my students from St. Paul’s were at the airport and they said that they will keep the plane till I returned,” she recalled with a smile.

Consy’s daughter, Anitha, is a talented pottery painter who does caricature work for Odel. Her grandson, Sahan Haputhanthri, also shows signs of being a skilled artist. The three, representing three generations, displayed their paintings in Scotland.

“My dream is to establish a gallery at home so that it will be filled with my creations. God gave everybody a gift. You can teach the method but you can’t teach the rhythm of the art. Nobody should copy another’s work. They should shine through their own individuality. That is the path to prosperity,” she concluded.

Kitchen tricks

Have a place for everything. It’s much easier to use a utensil or appliance, clean it and put it away when it has a home.

UIdentify spots in your kitchen that accumulate clutter and take a few minutes every day to clear those spots and place objects in their correct ‘homes’.

UTry to end each day with a clean, empty kitchen sink.

UA sponge is actually a great way to spread germs. Use paper towels, discard them after cleaning each surface to totally prevent cross-contamination.

UTo quickly clean burned food on a pan, add some dish soap and 1/2” of water. Bring to a boil, then let the liquid cool in the pan. The burned food will be easy to remove.

UTo clean a blender, squirt a few drops of liquid soap into it, fill halfway with warm water, cover and blend away the mess. Rinse and repeat if necessary. You can also use this method for food processors.

UA paste of baking soda and water will clean coffee stains

UUse a cut lemon half sprinkled with salt to clean copper.

UDissolve 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water for a good general cleaner.

UClean up spills as they occur so you won’t be faced with one huge cleaning session.

UDid you know that you use 20 per cent of your utensils 80 per cent of the time? Any tool or appliance which doesn’t get used during a week of cooking should be cleaned and stored to save counter and cupboard space and cleaning time.

UIt’s easier to clean a grill if you do it after each use. Also oil the grill rack before each use to make cleanup easier. Once every seven to 10 days, remove all the food from your refrigerator, wipe down the inside with warm soapy water, clean all the shelves and trays, then replace the food. As you work, check expiration dates and discard food past those dates.

UOnce a month, remove all the food from your pantry, wipe down with a clean damp cloth, check for spoilage and expiration dates, then replace items in their designated places.

Busycooks.about.com

Get rid of dandruff

Dandruff is the most common problem when it comes to hair. It is an exaggeration of the scaling process by which the skin renews itself. It is just the waste material through the pores of the scalp.

Types of dandruff

 

- Oily dandruff - Dry dandruff

Oily dandruff occurs most likely among adolescents and adults with an excessive oily skin and scalp. Dry dandruff appears as loose white flakes and scalp itches.

Dandruff causes

There are number of reasons for the dandruff like faulty diet, harsh shampoo, poor blood circulation in head, emotional tension and stress. This problem is more common in teenagers because they secrete an excess of androgen hormones which causes sebum.

 

Remedies

Massage and daily brushing are effective in treating dandruff. They help in blood circulation. For dry dandruff you should use an oil to massage before washing your hair. Rubbing lemon juice on the head is effective.

 

Lemon preparation

Lime remedy Take eight tablespoons of lemon juice.

One and half cup of water

Mix all the ingredients together and apply it on the head. Keep it for two to three hours and then wash it off.

Egg preparation

Take an egg white of one egg.

One tablespoon of lemon juice

Beat the egg white and mix lemon juice in it. Apply it and leave it soak for about an hour before shampooing your hair


 

Vinegar remedy

Take two tablespoons of vinegar.

A half bucket of water. Mix the vinegar in water and after shampooing wash your hair with this mixture.

•  Soak two spoon full of fenugreek seeds in water at night. In the morning make a paste by mixing seeds, two drops of lemon and apply on the head. Keep if for an hour. Then wash with herbal shampoo. Do this once a week.
• Massage three days old curds on the scalp. Keep it for half an hour and then shampoo.
•  Avoid nuts, chocolates, fried food. You must have a diet rich in green, chicken, fish, milk and its products. Also a good diet in vitamin A, E & B complex.

Orange Mousse

Ingredients

- 3 1/2 cups skim milk

- 3 large eggs

- 3 egg whites

- 1 cup sugar

- 2/3 cup cornstarch

- 1/2 cup orange juice (fresh is best)

- 1 tablespoon grated orange rind

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

- 2 cups whipped cream

- orange slices (to garnish)

Directions

In a large saucepan heat milk over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan (do not boil). Meanwhile in a bowl using an electric mixer at high speed beat eggs, egg whites, sugar and cornstarch until very light and fluffy, about three minutes. Mix in orange juice and orange peel. Beat in one cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the hot milk. Bring mousse to a boil whisking the entire time until the mixture is thick, about two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour mousse into a bowl, cover and put in the fridge until cold, about two hours. Fold in whipped topping, place in serving dishes (a large wine glass looks great) garnish with an orange and serve or you may cover and put in fridge until you are ready to serve. Garnish just before serving.