Victoria McLean is a self-taught artist based in Central Illinois whose work centers on childhood, and social impact.
McLean began painting children’s shoes in 2019 as a way to supplement her income after becoming a single mother. What began out of necessity gradually became something more personal. Following the loss of her brother, she began offering her hand-painted shoes at no cost in his honor, transforming a source of income into a practice rooted in generosity and remembrance.
Since then, Cherie has painted more than 300 pairs of children's shoes and given away 75 pairs, with her work and community efforts receiving recognition from WTVP PBS, The Hometown Voice, and an Illinois State Representative.
Today, her practice continues to evolve through Art Altruistic. Working primarily on children’s canvas shoes, McLean draws from childhood, nostalgia, heirloom objects, vintage illustration, and the imperfect qualities of handmade things. Her work considers how small, familiar objects can hold memory and how art can move beyond something we keep into something we give.
Artist Statement
I paint on children’s shoes because they are ordinary objects that quietly carry a great deal of meaning. They are worn through first steps, scraped against pavement, outgrown, handed down, packed into boxes, and sometimes kept long after they no longer fit.
My work is rooted in childhood and the way memory changes as we grow older. As we all are not who we once were, my style has evolved. In the next chapter of my work you will see soft illustrations to showcasing the moments that were precious to us.
Childhood is temporary, but pieces of it follow us.
I work with small canvas shoes, painting them by hand and allowing the material and evidence of the process to remain visible. Brushstrokes, uneven lines, woven canvas, and other imperfections are intentional parts of the work. I want each piece to feel made by a person rather than manufactured into perfection.
The start of this journey came from commissioned requests. I would watch the show in correspondence with the characters while painting, so I could get a feel for the colors and emotions tied to the character.
Giving has also become inseparable from my practice. What began as a way to earn supplemental income eventually became a way to honor my brother after his death. I began giving the shoes away, and in doing so, my understanding of their value changed. The work became less about what an object could be worth and more about what it could carry from one person to another.
My current practice is an exploration of those roots: childhood, memory, loss, generosity, and the objects we attach meaning to. I am interested in creating work that feels familiar without explaining exactly why. Something quiet enough to let the viewer find a piece of their own childhood within it.
I believe now more than ever it is important to remain authentic to ones self.