Sons of Gaia

"Mandra-i lumea si frumoasa", vorba unui cantec popular. Si tara in care traim acum e printre cele mai frumoase, iar cu fiecare aventura de care avem parte ne convingem tot mai mult ca e un pamant binecuvantat.
EN: A folkloric song tells that "the world is beautiful" and this blessed land we live in is one of the most wonderful there is.

 Weekendul l-am petrecut in Poiana Mica, Brasov, la festivalul Sons of Gaia. A fost locul perfect de indurat zilele calduroase: padure verde, aer curat si multi oameni de bine care au vibrat la unison pe muzica electronica.
EN: We spent the weekend in Brasov,at the Sons of Gaia festival. It was the perfect place to endure the very hot summer days: green forest, fresh air and many beautiful people who vibrated as one with the music.

A fost colorat si vesel si tare ne-a placut sa ne intalnim si reintalnim cu fiinte dragi, cu care am impartit timpul, mancarea, povestile si viata, intr-o comunitate a bucuriei.
Cred ca sunt locurile cele mai bune si pentru copii, care invata sa traiasca la comun, se simt in siguranta printre adulti care le poarta grija si sunt atenti la ei, inteleg natura si ajung sa o iubeasca si sa o foloseasca intelept si pot fi liberi intr-un mediu interesant.

EN: It was colorful and joyful and we really enjoyed meeting and re-meeting dear beings, with whom we shared the time, the food, the stories and life in a community of happiness.
I believe these are the best places for children, who learn to live together, feel safe among the grownups who take care of them and understand them, they grow to love nature and use it wisely and can be free in an interesting environment.

Holiday Season On my Mind

Poate e putin pripit sa ne gandim la vacanta de vara, dar zilele calduroase din saptamana aceasta par un preview binevenit, care merge asortat cu un set de tricouri calatoare. Le-am pictat pentru un cuplu de fotografi si au ajuns intr-un loc exotic si indepartat: Tenerife. Mi-am adus si eu aminte cu placere de excursia de acum 2 ani pe insula si mi-am pus o dorinta: sa mergem acolo din nou, poate pentru o perioada mai lunga, sa ne bucuram de mango, ananasi, avocado, ocean, plaja si peste si micutul Carol sa ia o portie zdravana de soare si sanatate.

EN: Maybe it seems a little far to think about the summer holiday, but the warm days this week seem like a welcomed priview, that needed to be matched with a pair of travelling T-shirts. I painted them for a couple of photographers and they went to a far away exotic place: Tenerife. I've remembered our trip 2 years ago  on this island and I made a wish: to return, for a longer time, so that our baby boy, Carol, can enjoy the sun, the beach, the ocean, the delicious like nowhere else mangos, avocados and pineapples.

Mens Sana in Corpore Sano

Vara inca mai sta, asa ca tricourile sunt parte din garderoba de zi cu zi, iar un tricou pictat se potriveste cu orice, oricand:)
EN: The summer is still here, so T-shirts are a must and a painted one goes well with everything and in any circumstance.

 Pe langa mult pictat, pregatit tot felul de muraturi, gasit metode de mancat multele mere pe care nu m-am putut abtine sa nu le culeg din livada pustie, plimbari la garla cu catelusa Tripi, ne-am gasit timp pentru un pic de sport organizat: Weekendul trecut Valentin a participat la consursul de biciclete "Vreau sa fiu activ", pe care asociatia Amurtel cu ajutorul autoritatilor locale l-au organizat in comuna Panatau, Buzau.

EN: Besides a lot of painting, pickling, finding ways to eat the many apples I couldn't stop picking from a deserted orchard, walking at the river with our dog, Tripi, we found time for a little sport. So, this weekend Valentin raced in the bike contest "I want to be active", organized by Amurtel association with the help of the local council in Panatau, Buzau county.

Copilasi entuziasmati, tineri dornici de miscare si cativa aduti curajosi, s-au inscris la cursa si au pedalat increzatori, reusind sa parcurga cu brio traseul.
EN: excited children, young boys and girls who love sport and a few brave adults lined at the start point and rode their bicycles, successfully finishing the race.

Au fost rasplatiti cu medalii, dulciuri si aplauzele spectatorilor, dar mai ales cu sentimentul ca au fost exemplu pentru promovarea unui stil de viata sanatos.
Atat noi spectatorii, cat si cei inscrisi in concurs ne-am distrat si cred ca ar fi frumos sa se organizeze cat mai multe evenimente de acest fel, care aduc laolalta comunitatea si incurajeaza pe toata lumea sa faca sport.
EN: They were rewarded with medals, sweets and the spectators' applause, but the most satisfying was the feeling that they gave a positive example in promoting a healthy lifestyle. These kind of events bring small communities together and are a great way of encouraging people to move and be active.

Wild at Heart

Nimic nu mi se pare mai frumos decat o pajiste verde, presarata cu mii si mii de flori salbatice, in culorile curcubeului si mirosind a proaspat, incalzite de soarele verii. Si mai minunat e ca toate aceste plante sunt binefacatoare si eu una ador sa invat despre plantele de leac si puterile lor, asa cum au facut si mama si bunica si alte si alte generatii de femei inaintea lor.
Am pus intr-o inima cateva dintre plantutele acestea miraculoase, sa poata fi purtate mereu aproape si sa ne aminteasca despre nemarginirea naturii si belsugul cu care ne rasfata.

EN: There isn't anything more beautiful to me than a green pasture, filled with thousands and thousands of wild flowers, in the rainbow colors, releasing their fresh perfume, heated by the summer sun. And even more wonderful is that all this plants have healing powers and I just love to learn about them, like my mom and my grandma and many generations of women before them did.
I painted in a heart some of this little miracles, so that they can be wore as a reminder of the abundance and sufficiency that nature gifted us with.

 Si pentru ca tot am pomenit despre belsug, cu mare bucurie (si niciun pic de lauda:)) postez fotografiile acestea doua, cu primele ciuperci gasite anul acesta: prea-deliciosii si rarii zbarciogi. Desi am gasit doar o mana, dar doua soiuri deiferite, a fost un adevarat rasfat al gustului. I-am sotat pur si simplu in unt, cu sare si piper, taiati pe jumatate. O nebunie! Cine stie, poate dupa ploile abundente din ultima vreme o sa mai avem norocul sa gasim si altii:)
EN: And because I've mentioned the richness of nature, I happily post today these two photos of the first mushrooms we've picked this year: the oh-so-tasty and rare Morella. Although we only found a bunch of them (but two different types), they were such a treat. I just simply sauteed them in butter, with salt and pepper. Madness! Who knows, maybe after the crazy raining lately, we'll get lucky and find some more:)

Owls Are Not What They Seem

Din sarbatoare-n sarbatoare, trec zilele si lunile si ne bucuram tot mai mult de stat pe afara, de verdele viu si de natura inflorita.
EN: From holiday to holiday, the days and the months go by and we enjoy more time outside, more lively green and the nature that is blooming.

 Ne-am luat si noi o vacanta si ne-am plimbat putin, profitand de Paste, de 1 Mai si de atmosfera de bucurie din jurul nostru. Am ajuns in magicul Tinut al Buzaului (iar si iar ne intoarcem cu drag aici) si de data aceasta am mers spre Meledic, singurul lac cu apa dulce din Romania. aflat intr-un masiv de sare.

EN: We took a vacation and traveled a little, taking advantage of the Easter celebration, the 1st of May and the joyous feeling surrounding us. We arrived in the magical Buzau county (where we happily come back from time to time) and we took a trip to Meledic lake, the only sweet water lake in Romania situated in a salty mountain.

 In vremurile comunismului, aici s-au tinut tabere de sculptura in lemn in perioada verii, iar marturie au ramas cateva statui singuratice si nostalgice.
EN: In the communist era, there were sculpting camps held here and the lonely and nostalgic statues on the lake shores are a proof of those times.

Locul este superb, se poate campa la cort sau la casuta, iar imprejurimile pitoresti sunt ideale pentru plimbari in natura, pentru fotografie si relaxare, iar linistea din jur e completata de pasari si insecte.
Ne-am minunat si noi de cate locuri superbe sunt in tara noastra mare si ne-am bucurat ca avem norocul sa calatorim si sa le cunoastem!

EN: The place is wonderful, you can camp or rent a wooden house and the beautiful surroundings are ideal for walks in the nature, photography and relaxation, all in a complete silence, accompanied by birds, insects and the wind.
We were amazed of how many special places there are in our big country and we were glad to be lucky enough to travel and know them!

Be Wild and Free

 Miroase a vara, a meri infloriti si buchete de liliac! Zumzaie livada, fosneste iarba si pamantul misuna de viata! Iar eu pictez in fiecare zi, cu mai mult spor, cu mai mult drag:) In primul rand tricouri si se simte incalzirea vremii si apropierea sezonului cald, pentru ca majoritatea comenzilor au ca subiect un tricou. Ba chiar am apucat sa imi pictez si mie unul, pentru ca, sincer, parca ma simteam rusinata putin sa pictez pentru altii si eu sa nu am macar un tricou:)

It smells of summer, of blooming apple trees and lilac flowers. The orchard is filled with sounds, the grass already looks like a sea of green and the land is bursting with life! And I paint every day, more energetic and with more pleasure:) Mainly I paint T-shirts and the warm season feels closer and closer, while most of my orders consists of them. I even managed to paint one for me, because I felt a little embarrassed not to wear my own creations.

Cand imi fac timp pentru citit, mai ales seara, inainte de culcare, ma delectez cu bijuteria aceasta de carticica: "Plantele alimentare din flora spontana a Romaniei", scrisa de Constantin Dragulescu. E exact ce aveam nevoie pentru noua mea pasiune: plantele salbatice care pot fi consumate. Are ilustratii, e foarte bine documentata si are chiar si retete. Am si incercat cateva dintre plantele prezentate si au fost absolut delicioase! E surprinzator cum de la o generatie la alta am uitat complet de toate darurile pe care ni le face natura!

When I have time for reading, especially before going to sleep, I enjoy this gem of a book : "The wild edible plants of Romania", written by Constantin Dragulescu. It's exactly what I needed for my newest passion: edible weeds. It has clear illustrations, it's very well documented, it has many recipes and it fits in my pocket. I even tried some of the plants and they were delicious. It is amazing how from one generation to the other we simply forgot about nature's gifts.

Of Wolves and Men

Anul acesta februarie a fost o luna plina si, contrar vremii reci, eu am pictat tricou dupa tricou si mintea mi-a fost ocupata cu soare si cer senin. Un pasionat de lupi a vrut o mini-colectie de tricouri si mi-a lansat o adevarata provocare: nu mai pictasem lupi pana atunci. Dar a fost un bun exercitiu, ba chiar cred ca acum as putea desena din memorie "fiara" ce urla la luna:)
EN: This year, February was a full month and, despite the cold weather, I painted T-shirt after T-shirt and my mind was busy with sunshine and clear sky. A wolf passionate wanted a mini-collection of T-shirts and challenged me a little: I've never painted wolves before. But it was a good exercise and I even think that now I could paint the beast from my memory:)

 Am continuat "lectiile" despre buruienile comestibile si in ultimul timp salatele noastre au continut usturoita, turita, racovina, frunze de papadie, macris, nasturel  sau toporasi. Nu am ratat nici leurda, pe care am transformat-o intr-o pasta absolut delicioasa si simplu de gatit: frunze de leurda, ulei, sare, suc de lamaie, toate puse in blender si pasate bine. Am mancat-o u cartofi, cu paste si felul preferat: cu turtite coapte pe plita.

EN: I went on with my lessons about edible weeds and lately our salads were made of Nasturtium officinalis, Alliaria petiolata, Viola odorata, sorrel, dandelion leaves or galium aparine. We haven't missed the Allium ursinum (the ramps) and turned it into a delicious and easy to cook paste: the ramps leaves, salt, oil and lemon juice, all mixed into a paste with the blender. We ate this on potatoes, on pasta and our favorite, on little pita bread cooked outdoor, on the fire.

Infinte Possibilities

Chiar daca mai timid, razele soarelui incep sa aiba putere, asa ca am inceput din timp sa pregatesc tinuta de vara:) Desi iarna aceasta am pictat multe tricouri, pentru domnite sau cavaleri prevazatori, care au vrut sa fie pregatiti atunci cand caldura se va instala, am hotarat sa incep sa postez doar de acum, ca sa fiu in ton cu sezonul. Si m-am apucat serios de pregatit o mini-colectie de tricouri, cu tema "plante medicinale", care sa fie gata pana de Florii si Paste.

EN: Even if a little bit shy, the sun rays are starting to gain strength, so I've started early to prepare the summer outfit. Although this winter I've painted many T-shirts, for ladies and gents that wanted to make sure they have the right gear for when the heath strikes, I've decided to start showing them now, to be "in season". And I've seriously began preparing a mini-collection of T-shirts, with the theme "medicinal plants", to have them ready for Easter.

O data cu soarele a inceput si natura sa reia in stapanire pamantul, asa ca livada si padurea din spatele casei au inverzit si inflorit. De un timp incoace incerc sa invat cat mai multe despre flora spontana si plantele salbatice comestibile (unii le-ar numi "buruieni", dar nu-mi place sensul peiorativ al cuvantului) si sa ma bucur de binefacerile lor. Si descopar in fiecare an noi si noi "delicatese" si ma minunez de belsugul pe care pamantul si natura ni-l ofera, fara a fi nevoie sa depunem vreun efort.
Asa am aflat despre "Galium aperine" sau turita, o plantuta taratoare, carnoasa, frageda si cu un gust delicios. La masa de seara am dat o tura prin livada, am strans cateva frunze de papadie, macris, flori de toporasi pentru aroma si turita cata am gasit. Le-am combinat intr-o salata si bine am facut, rezultatul a fost spectaculos. Bineinteles, inainte sa le mancam, m-am documentat bine de pe internet, pentru a identifica planta corect.
Si de aici inainte o sa avem de unde alege, pentru ca gradina naturii e imbelsugata si fiecare sezon aduce cu sine o varietate incredibila de plante salbatice, bogate in nutrienti si vitamine, pe care trebuie doar sa le culegem.
Doua din site-urile care ma inspira la "vanatoarea" de plante salbatice comestibile:
https://ierburiuitate.wordpress.com/
http://foragingfamily.blogspot.ro/

EN: At the same time with the sun, nature has also started to regain the land, so the orchard and the forest behind the house have simply flourished. Since some years, I've been trying to learn as much as possible about the wild edible plants (some would call them "weeds") and to enjoy their properties. And I discover each time new "delicacies" and I wonder of the richness that nature provides us with, without us having to do a thing.
This is how I found out about "Galium aperine", a crawling little plant, juicy, tender and delicious in taste. For the evening meal I took a walk in the orchard, picked some dandelion fresh leaves, some "Viola odorata" for their perfume and a handful of galium. I mixed them into a salad and it turned out to be a great idea. Of course, before eating them, I read on the internet about the plant, to be sure I properly identified it.
And from now on we'll have from where to pick, because nature's garden is rich and each season will bring a great variety of wild plants, filled with nutrients and vitamins, that we only have to gather.
One of the sites that are very inspiring for me in my hunt for wild edible plants:
http://foragingfamily.blogspot.ro/

Slow and Steady

Zilele incep sa creasca si aduc cu ele mai multa energie. Ne lasam dezmierdati de soarele amiezii care imbie si pasarile sa isi reia trilurile prin varfurile brazilor.  Inceputul de an s-a desfasurat rapid si nu a lasat loc de plictiseala in atelierul Primitiv.
Mesterim cu spor si fiecare idee noua care prinde viata angreneaza dupa ea altele si altele. Ne bucuram amandoi cand drumul de la concept la obiect nu e in zadar si reusim sa cream ceva deosebit. Ne bucuram de oamenii minunati care ne sprijina, cred in noi si ne incurajeaza sa mergem inainte. Dar mai presus de orice ne bucuram sa lucram impreuna si sa impartasim aceeasi viziune.

EN: The days are starting to grow and they bring more energy. We let the noon sun to warm us, while it brings back to life the little singing birds. The beginning of the year went by fast and it didn't allow any boredom at Primitiv workshop.
We work hard and joyous and each new idea brings more and more new ones. We are both so happy when the path from concept to object gets us to a special creation. We are happy for the wonderful people that believe in us and push us forward.  But most of all, we are happy to be able to work together and share the same vision.

Un an de stat la tara ne-a adus aminte de lucrurile simple, cum  ar fi mancarea gatita afara, la foc si am facut o pasiune din turtitele coapte pe plita. E uimitor cum o ora de stat afara la foc, sub cerul instelat ne poate imbunatati starea de spirit.

EN: An year of country living reminded us of the simple things, like outdoor fire cooked food and we became addicted to flat bread baked on the grill. It's amazing how one simple hour of sitting next to the fire, under the starry sky can improve our mood.