Mediterranean scrub project

I take advantage of the blog to write in detail the idea of ​​the Mediterranean line and briefly describe the reason for choosing this concept and go into detail on the specific prints.

Sardinia ... magical land full of traditions and cultures where I was born and raised. I decided to start this project starting from home, proposing prints that concern the Mediterranean Maquis, rich in fragrant nature, a unique sea that offers emotions and joys to thousands of visitors who come to visit us during the summer and non-summer seasons. Personally I'm in love with the scents and greenery that surrounds the area where I live (San Pantaleo) and traveling around the rest of Sardinia for years, I wanted to dedicate my first project to her, calling it the Mediterranean scrub project.

Myrtle

Myrtle is a typical plant of the Mediterranean Maquis, present everywhere in Sardinia from North to South. It is mainly known for the famous liqueur that is obtained from the berries of this fantastic plant, but it also has other aromatic and medicinal properties. It appears as an evergreen plant whose name derives from the Greek myron = essence which indicates its aromatic properties.

Myrtle has always been considered a symbol of femininity according to Greek and Roman mythology. To the Greeks, for example, the myrtle evokes the name of Myrsine, a young girl from Attica who, after beating a young man in a gymnastic competition, was killed by the same opponent because she did not accept defeat. The girl was in fact transformed by the goddess Athena into a myrtle shrub.

Personally I use this plant a lot both in the kitchen and as a perfume for rooms and personal perfume. I therefore decided to honor the myrtle with a dedicated print with a classic delicate watercolor design, with soft colors that reflect the real colors of the myrtle.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a Mediterranean plant, present throughout Sardinia, loved and used for various purposes; pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and in the kitchen. As a plant it is also considered melliferous, i.e. much exploited in beekeeping. It is part of the evergreen family and can adapt to all types of environments. The name of the species comes from "ros-rosis"= dew and "maris"= of the sea . Rosemary also has ancient origins: during the Roman period it was used to prepare propitiatory garlands and twigs were burned in honor of Aphrodite and the Gods who protected the house.

I remember about 7 8 years ago, when I went out to play with my friends and went to the rocks that surround our village, I always rubbed my hands on the rosemary to try to disguise the smell of the cigarettes that lingered in my hands. I was born in the midst of this plant which gives off a unique aroma and especially brings back memories that make me smile.

Proposed in a classic style, with a blue background that recalls the Sardinian sea, rosemary is part of the 2023 Mediterranean line.

 Dragonfly

Dragonflies are among the insects that most attract our attention thanks to their bright colors and particularly elegant flight mode. In Italy there are 99 species of Odonata (specifically a set of insects belonging to the dragonfly section) of which 44 are present in Sardinia.

The idea of ​​dedicating a print to these fantastic insects came from the appearance of an odonata inside a shop right in front of me. The movement and the particular nuances on the wings made me think that it was really worth paying attention to this species, elegant and wonderful. So I decided to introduce the dragonfly in the Macchia Mediterranea project also because most of these insects are present especially in Sardinia.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish are an elegant and refined species, harmless or terribly dangerous and inhabit the waters of all the seas of the world, including the Mediterranean sea of ​​our beloved Sardinia. Jellyfish were already present on earth, therefore they have not evolved over these billions of years but they were already present once they were presented in our seas. These fantastic beings always appear in the sea in herds of hundreds if not thousands of specimens. Many of these species have a different life cycle from the usual jellyfish we are used to, that is, they settle on the seabed in the form of polyps. Fortunately, there are few dangerous jellyfish in the Mediterranean Sea and as stinging as they may be, they are not fatal.

Personally I find the jellyfish a unique specimen, harmless as it can be dangerous if you collide with it in the water, but I find that they are elegant, soft in movement and with shades of colors to admire. So I decided to shoot these fantastic specimens on a navy blue background of our beloved Mediterranean Sea with a minimal and electric style.

Pinna Nobilis- Marine castanets

The Pinna Nobilis or commonly called sea castanets is a plant present in the Mediterranean Sea and recently also found in Andalusia. Unfortunately it is an endangered species, in fact, it has become a protected species according to the Habitat directives dictated by the European Union for which its collection is prohibited. This marine castanet is an edible filtering mollusk, although extremely dangerous to ingest due to its marine function, which is to accumulate large quantities of pathogens and pollutants absorbed from the sea. Like many marine molluscs, Pinna Nobilis produces filaments on its external surface. These threads constitute the material from which the byssus is obtained, often used in the past in Sardinia for the weaving of precious and brightly colored garments.

I decided to use the Pinna Noblis as a print subject for the Mediterranea 2023 sea line for two reasons: to make people aware NOT to touch this precious plant for our sea now in danger of extinction and to inform people who are unaware of this marine species. I think preserving, respecting what belongs to the sea is quite sufficient as a print motif, proposed with a nice, colored design on a blue Mediterranean sea background, characteristic of our beautiful sea.

 

Rooster

The rooster is an exponential symbol of the north-eastern part of Sardinia, precisely called Gallura. The term Gallura is very old, dating back to years before the birth of the Giudicato of Gallura which overlooked the mouth of Bonifacio called the "Stretto dei Galli" at the time. The name of the strait has always occupied southern Corsica, thus becoming the meeting point between the two islands. Initially, in fact, between Corsica and Sardinia there were linguistic ties for which the southern Corsican was spoken in Sardinia. In Roman times the inhabitants of Sardinia were in fact called Corsicans and for many millennia Sardinia was an appendage of Corsica. The coat of arms of the rooster therefore represents this fantastic area of ​​Sardinia, rich in history, with a vast and fragrant vegetation to be discovered and more!

Obviously there would be many other notions to mention regarding the history of Gallura and the association of the Rooster as a symbol of the North-East Sardinian area but, if you want to delve into the subject, there are many online articles written by people who have had the kindness to share and publish this ancient story.

Personally, I decided to introduce the rooster as a print subject for the Mediterranea 2023 beach line precisely to particularly enhance the part of Sardinia where I was born and raised, even though Sardinia is a beautiful island at 360°. The rooster is presented with a stylized minimal round design on a beige background.