The Little Red Cottage

Artist Feature – Peter McLean

Precision, craftsmanship and a fascination with colour and perception sit at the heart of Peter Mcleans artist books.

A printmaker and draughtsman whose practice spans abstract, figurative and landscape works, Peter combines deep respect for traditional printmaking techniques with a continual desire to explore new visual territory. Since graduating from the ANU School of Art, he has exhibited widely, undertaken artist residencies internationally, and taught printmaking across Australia including at the National Art School, ANU School of Art and GOMA.

For Narratives, Peter presents "Motion of Spheres" and "Passage of Spheres III" — mesmerising artist books structured through mathematical logic yet deeply tactile and handcrafted in form. Using a single circular hand-engraved perspex block, layers of process colour are rotated and overprinted to generate endlessly shifting combinations and optical effects.

As viewers move through the pages, each image reveals new relationships between colour, movement and perception, creating a visual experience that feels both scientific and strangely magical. The traditional book format becomes a perfect vessel for unfolding these infinite variations one moment at a time.

You only have TODAY left to discover Peter’s intricate and captivating artist books as part of the "Narratives" exhibition - so be quick!!

Artist Feature – Katie White

Themes of connection, memory and loss quietly weave through the artist books of Katie White, an emerging artist and printmaker based in Maleny on Jinibara Country.

After a long career in speech pathology, audiology and remedial therapy, Katie returned to a lifelong passion for artmaking, developing a practice that now spans printmaking, artist books, wearable art and mixed media works incorporating natural materials.

For Narratives, Katie presents "The Missing Child", a deeply moving concertina artist book exploring the enduring grief of losing a child — whether through infertility, pregnancy loss, childhood or adulthood. Combining cyanotype and acrylic on paper, the work reflects on absence, memory and the lasting imprint of love and loss. As the pages unfold, the book becomes both a visual meditation and a quiet act of acknowledgement for the many forms grief can take.

Katie’s work invites compassion, contemplation and recognition of experiences often held silently within families and communities.

Also available for sale, is a beautiful collection of journals made by Katie - some with cyanotype covers and others bound in local timbers.

Experience Katie’s thoughtful and heartfelt work today as part of Narratives at the Little Red Cottage - art + ecology space.

Artist Feature – Lauri Anderson

Deeply personal, tactile and emotionally resonant, the artist books of Lauri Anderson explore grief, motherhood, memory and the fragile strength found within lived experience.

Lauri is an emerging artist whose practice seeks to make sense of life, loss and womanhood through mixed media and material storytelling. Working with book forms, ceramics, printmaking and drawing, she explores the ways the body holds memory and how stories continue to loop through time, place and relationship.

For Narratives, Lauri presents two interconnected artist books: "Still(Strong)Birth" and "Notes on Grief". Together, the works move through the experience of stillbirth and maternal grief, while also holding tenderness, connection and the grounding presence of Country.

"Still(Strong)Birth" is designed like a partially opened doorway — an invitation into a deeply intimate story of memory, pain and enduring connection. "Notes on Grief", a ceramic journal intended to be touched and slowly turned by visitors, contains reflections copied into clay, preserving moments of grief in a form that feels both enduring and fragile.

These works are courageous offerings — inviting viewers not simply to observe, but to gently engage, reflect and connect through touch, presence and shared humanity.

Experience Lauri’s powerful works as part of Narratives at the Little Red Cottage.

Artist Feature – Jennifer Eurell

Science, travel, observation and printmaking come together beautifully in the work of Jennifer Eurell, a Mapleton-based mixed media artist whose practice is deeply shaped by both curiosity and lived experience.

Jennifer works across relief and intaglio printmaking, cyanotype, photography and hand stitching, bringing together technical precision with poetic storytelling. Her background in applied science continues to influence her environmentally focused works, while her years spent sailing the world aboard the yacht Burramys provide rich personal narratives woven through her art.

For Narratives, Jennifer presents two striking concertina artist books. "Book of Butterflies" celebrates the butterfly species found at Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, combining cyanotype, lino print and gelli print processes to create life-sized butterflies rich in pattern and detail.

Her second work, "Noon Sight", draws from a three-week Pacific crossing from the Galapagos Islands to the Marquesas. Combining nautical charts, cyanotype and hand stitching, the book traces the ritual of recording daily noon positions at sea — accompanied by photographs taken each day from the yacht’s companionway. What began as a voyage filled with apprehension became, instead, a quiet meditation on time, distance, routine and ripening bananas.

Discover Jennifer’s thoughtful and beautifully crafted artist books as part of Narratives at the Little Red Cottage. Exhibition ends Sunday 24th May.

Artist Feature – Michelle Vandermeer

Bold colour, inventive structures and a deep love of handcrafted books come together beautifully in the work of Michelle Vandermeer.

Based in Brisbane, Michelle is a designer, bookbinder and maker whose practice spans artist books, graphic design, paper collage and handcrafted book arts. Through her studio, Shelbyville Bindery, she creates custom bindings, bookbinding tools and workshops that celebrate the tactile and enduring beauty of handmade books.

For Narratives, Michelle presents two richly imaginative works. "Instructions for Having a Soul" transforms indigo-dyed papers, cyanotypes and laser-etched poetry into a cascading wall-hung artist book inspired by the words of poet Joseph Fasano. Layers of indigo and ghostly white text create an atmospheric meditation on texture, emotion and the quiet resonance of language.

Her second work, "Red Doors & Robots", is playful, curious and full of personality. Combining collage, found objects, photography and storytelling, the concertina-panorama book follows a growing fascination with urban “robots” — red fire hydrants discovered hidden throughout city streets. Part artist book and part whimsical visual narrative, the work celebrates the overlooked quirks of everyday urban life.

Discover Michelle’s beautifully crafted and imaginative works and a glorious range of book making kits, tiny book earrings and pendants and more in the shop in the gallery.

Artist Feature – Judy Barrass

The artist books of Judy Barrass sit beautifully at the intersection of printmaking, storytelling and experimentation — works that honour both traditional craftsmanship and contemporary ways of making.

Based in Noosa, Judy is an internationally exhibited printmaker, artist bookmaker and new media artist whose works are held in significant public collections including the National Library of Australia and the State Library of Queensland. Across decades of practice, she has explored the evolving possibilities of print, artist books and digital media, blending traditional techniques with new technologies.

For Narratives, Judy presents two elegant artist book works. "Women Reading" is an accordion-fold lithographic book housed within a handmade box, extending into a long sequence of quiet and contemplative printed imagery. The work reflects Judy’s deep engagement with printmaking as both image and object.

Her second work, "Iterations", consists of restrained concertina books and a folded pamphlet contained within a handmade portfolio box. Through repetition, sequencing and variation, the work explores rhythm, form and the subtle shifts that occur through repeated observation and making.

Experience Judy’s beautifully crafted artist books as part of Narratives at the Little Red Cottage - art + ecology space.

Artist Feature – Kath Sheehan

There is a quiet, reflective quality to Kathy Sheehan’s artist books — works that invite viewers to slow down, look closely, and listen more deeply to both the land and themselves.

Working across printmaking and artist books, Kath explores the idea that life’s path is rarely straightforward. Her layered and tactile works reflect moments of uncertainty, pause, resilience and renewal, drawing inspiration from the vast Australian landscape and the subtle traces found within it.

For Narratives, Kath presents "Walking Gently, Listening Deeply", an artist book combining gel prints, handmade paper and reflective text. The work considers how land can mirror inner emotional landscapes — grief, uncertainty, continuity and healing. Through layered marks, rhythms and shifting patterns, the book becomes a meditation on slowing down and paying attention.

At the heart of the work is the understanding that Country itself holds knowledge and guidance, acknowledging with respect the enduring wisdom of First Nations peoples who have long understood the language of land, signs and presence.

Experience Kath’s thoughtful and contemplative work before the exhibition closes after Sunday 24th May.

Artist Feature – Marie Farr

For artist Marie Farr, making art is not simply a practice — it is a lifelong way of living, observing and renewing herself through creativity. Working from her studio with her dog nearby, Marie describes becoming completely immersed in the creative process, where “all else ceases to exist.”

A lifelong artist and former art educator, Marie brings a deep love of materials, craftsmanship and bookmaking to her work. Her artist books for Narratives celebrate both storytelling and the tactile pleasure of beautifully made objects.

Her Japanese Journal is inspired by a visit to the historic Kyoto Kyukyodo Honten stationery store in Japan, established in 1663. Covered in exquisite decorative Japanese papers and crafted with brass fittings and archival materials, the journal becomes both artwork and functional object — a quiet celebration of paper, design and the enduring beauty of handmade books.

Marie’s second work, "Fire Horse – Birthday Book" draws inspiration from the Chinese zodiac. Bound in kangaroo leather with brass details, the book combines symbolism, craftsmanship and practical use, inviting the owner to record birthdays, memories and family stories over time. Marie also has a range of leather zodiac bookmarks that make perfect gifts for your loved ones.

Discover Marie’s beautifully crafted artist books as part of Narratives.

Artist Feature – Thomas Hamlyn-Harris

Entering the world of Thomas Hamlyn-harris’ artist books feels a little like stepping into a poetic puzzle — where language, image and form shift and unfold through touch and interaction.

Thomas is a Maleny-based artist, writer and illustrator with a Doctorate in Creative Arts focused on visual narrative. Alongside his artistic practice, he works in disability support and training, bringing a deep interest in storytelling, communication and alternative ways of experiencing the world into his creative work.

For Narratives, Thomas presents "Even in the Midst of Night", a concertina artist book inspired by a 17th century folk poem. Through playful manipulation of language and the physical structure of the book itself, the work explores the instability of meaning — how words can both reveal and conceal. The unfolding format encourages readers to engage with the book not simply as text, but as an interactive object to be explored and handled.

His smaller work, "Storm in a Teacup", continues this playful engagement with language and the idea of the “book-as-object,” inviting curiosity, interpretation and participation.

Experience Thomas’ thoughtful and interactive works as part of Narratives at the Little Red Cottage - art + ecology space till exhibition ends on Sunday 24th.

Artist Feature – Sue Poggioli

Another amazing artist in "Narratives: A Constellation of Stories" is Brisbane based Sue Poggioli.

Drawing and printmaking sit at the heart of Sue’s practice, particularly her ongoing fascination with people — the anonymous figures we pass, observe and remember. Working primarily with lino printing, Sue creates layered and atmospheric works that explore movement, memory and the collective human experience.

For Narratives, Sue presents two compelling artist books. "PROCESSION TWO" evolves from her long-running art museum series, shifting focus away from iconic artworks and instead onto the audiences themselves. Figures move through the pages like an endless human procession — visitors, artists, and even imagined characters stepping out from paintings into shared space. The work reflects on the fleeting nature of life and our place within its continual flow.

Her second work, "40 IN A BOX", gathers observed figures into a sculptural snake-form book. Layered lino prints overlap like whispers or fading memories, inviting viewers to unfold and encounter each mysterious character before the work folds back into itself once more.

Experience Sue’s beautifully observed works before Sunday 24th May.