Phoenix Zoellick is the winner of the FC Bellevue Ida Clark brief with her winning submission “Never Walk Alone.” Phoenix, originally from Boulder CO, graduated from the Maine College of Art, and now manages Ironside, one of our favourite restaurants in San Francisco. Phoenix is currently making so many cool objects with her designs we wonder how she has enough time to be so awesome.
What do I do? I make stuff, compulsively. I draw, paint, design, make. I manage a wonderful restaurant, take long walks through the city with my sweetie and our dogs, continue learning to spin fire, and try to figure out how to live full-time off of making art.
I give my menagerie of beasties life in paintings, t-shirts, skate and snowboards, pins and to-go boxes. You can find my creations at etsy.com/shop/pixiebird and pixiebird.com and follow my blog atpixiebird.blogspot.com.
On her first pair of Fluevogs:
I’ve been Fluevogin’ since I was 14. I fell in love with the burgundy Lucky Swirl Angels, those gorgeous, satan-resistant babies that speed-lace up to your knees. They were all I asked for for Christmas and I used to stomp around my high school in old prom dresses, military jackets, and my precious Fluevog boots. Around that time I also fell for the Grand Nationals, which I have never managed to own, though I got to put on a pair once. It was a near-religious experience and I had to be pacified with ice cream afterwards.
Inspiration behind her winning design “Never Walk Alone:”
I like to create things that are a bit funny, a bit odd, and look like they could keep you company. My little birds show up a lot, and have had a long and fruitful relationship with Fluevogs before this. I have a whole series of birds and shoes, and when I got a look at the Bellevues, I knew exactly what I wanted to draw. As far as the tag line, I simply believe it. I’ve been wearing Fluevogs for years, and it’s always been a bit like belonging to a secret society. Other acolytes give you knowing smiles on the street and you applaud each other’s footwear…every city I live in, I’ll always find the Fluevogers.
On how long it took to complete her winning design:
A night of drawing, a day and a night for color, and another 3 days to hem and haw over small but vital details and get the approval of several trusted pairs of eyes.
On the reason why she decided to enter the FluevogCreative contest:
Well sheesh, why not? I meant it when I said I’ve already been visually idolizing Fluevogs for a long time, and a chance to do a dream job for my dream company?
What the future holds for Phoenix:
To do real and good work with people I respect, to collaborate creatively and believe in what I do. To have a sunny studio, peace of mind, and killer boots.
Please contact me if you’d like to make something together, pay me to make something for you, or just talk about making stuff.
You can find Phoenix’s artwork and creations at etsy.com/shop/pixiebird and pixiebird.com and follow her blog at pixiebird.blogspot.com.
