Creative Collection: Open Road

When artist victoria mcgrane hit the road in search of inspiration, she discovered that in times of restraint creativity is beyond borders

- Harriet Sim

Dreaming of new-found liberation and off-grid living, textile artist and illustrator Victoria McGrane packed her life and work into ‘Daisy,’ a charming 1990 Toyota Coaster minibus, and took to the open road in early 2020.

Her partner Darren and their rescue dog, Gypsie, jumped on board for the ride. What Victoria found, however, was far from freedom, but a scourge of mosquitoes, a stuffy motorhome and a global pandemic lockdown that stranded the newly branded nomads in far north Queensland.

“During the lockdown, they closed down all the caravan sites, which did not give any provisions for people like us who didn’t have a home to go to,” explains Victoria from her motorhome, currently based at Currimundi Lake on the Sunshine Coast. “It was really scary. Luckily, we came across some generous people, including the owners of the local bowling club, who said we could camp there and use the showers until we figured out what to do.”