PHONE
- If calling from within NZ
03-355-3232 or mob 027-460-3765
- From outside of NZ
0064-3-355-3232 or mob 0064-27-460-3765
EMAIL free_spirit07@hotmail.com
THE BACKGROUNDS
Paul
Paul was born in Wellington,New Zealand in 1965 & spent a lot of his 20's travelling & living overseas.
"With an all consuming passion for lettering & design from birth, I started teaching myself calligraphy (the art of beautiful handwriting) age 14. I later moved on into graphic design and then engraving which led to decorative sandblasting."
During his creative career he has been involved in 2 group exhibitions & has pieces exhibited in galleries around New Zealand.
His other hobbies include playing the Highland bagpipes (as well as being well passionate about all the other breeds of bagpipes),other wind-blown instruments,reading,& is currently embarking on the long slow path of teaching himself chisel engraving.
Martine
Martine was born in the north of France in 1959, & later moved down to live in Toulon on the French Riviera in the south of France.She has also travelled widely & has a great love of architecture and design.
"Over the years my design has taken me through lots of different mediums including dot paintings, painted woodware, fashion design and kitchen design. I met Paul and then WOW!"
Since migrating to New Zealand in 2001 & marrying Paul, Martine took to decorative sandblasting like a duck to water & has pieces displayed in galleries around New Zealand.
THE BUSINESS
Free Spirit was started by Paul in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1998.
"After working for the man for too long I was suffering from creative constipation & decided to take control of my own life. From a tiny start doing unique engraved artwork on Zippo lighters the creative journey exploded with an introduction to sandblasting through a friend in 1999. 2000 - what a year, some travel and then, Martine! - in the smoking lounge of Bangkok airport. With her eye for detail & Mediterranean tastes - What a creative challenge and partnership".
Together we have a commitment to ourselves as artists and also to our clients, to produce unique, handworked & signed pieces.
We love it!
Our motto "In all things be passionate".
Feel free to share our work & website with others.
Paul & Martine.
Sympathy for the Deco
This beautiful table lighter was made by Paul Fleming of New Zealand. Paul's website is http://www.freespirit.net.nz..
Paul is featured in our Famous Artists section as well.
This beauty sold for $365.00 on eBay to a California bidder.
“The Flow”
At the Zippo/Case Swap Meet in July, 2004, the Roseart owners were privileged to meet Paul Fleming from New Zealand. Paul is well known by Zippo Collectors as an artist, who does his beautiful sandblasting creations on Zippo lighters as his canvas. Some might better recognize him as “Free Spirit”. He does all one of a kind design. Ralph and Kelly were thrilled with his work and decided to inquire as to whether Paul would consider creating a masterpiece on a Roseart Table Lighter. Paul was also excited about the idea and took one of the new Vermont Verde table lighters back home with him to create.
A couple months later, Roseart received a beautiful letter and the one of a kind masterpiece back from him. He titled it “The Flow”, which you see pictured here. It is numbered on the bottom number one of one.
Paul and Roseart hope to do more joint creations in the future and offer them for sale.