A woman and a man smiling at the camera in an art studio, holding leaf pattern artworks; the woman holds a framed artwork and the man holds a fabric art piece with leaf designs.

Just Bee Design is a small creative studio based in Cairns, run by artists Nicola Bryars-Parker and Neil Orange Peel Parker (Mr and Mrs Peel)

We design and hand-print linen textiles and artworks at Sunbird Studio, where Just Bee Design started in 2012.

A woman with short hair and a big smile, wearing an apron splattered with paint, is creating a butterfly print on a silk screen with purple ink in an art studio.

Our work begins in nature — walking by the creek with our much loved Nui dog, noticing what’s in flower, what’s fruiting, what’s changing with the seasons. Also from spending time gardening and noticing plants and animals in our own backyard.

Living in this part of the world, on the edge of the Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef, we’re constantly surrounded by an incredible bio-diversity of plant and animal life. (which we are incredibly grateful for!)

We’re drawn to patterns and details — a leaf shape, a seed pod, a bird call — and over time these observations find their way into our work.

*All Photo Credit- Cristina - The Photo Corner

Each design begins slowly.

There’s time spent researching, sketching, and understanding the subject — sometimes with books spread across the table, trying to identify whether something is native or endemic to this region.

From there, the process shifts into the studio. Designs are refined and prepared, screens are exposed in the darkroom, and each piece is printed by hand, layer by layer.

It’s a process that asks for patience, and one we’ve come to really value.

Much of what we make is designed to be used — in kitchens, on tables, in everyday life.

Sharing meals, sitting down together at the end of the day, these are small rituals that we both feel very connected to.

We choose to work with linen for its lower impact on the environment, and print using Australian-made, water-based inks from Permaset Aqua.

Our approach to making considers not just the final piece, but everything around it — from materials and water use, to the way we package and send our work out into the world.

We’ve been honoured to receive Best Practice recognition through the EcoBiz Queensland program for our ongoing efforts in sustainability within our studio.

What began at local markets has slowly grown into an online studio and creative practice that now reaches far beyond Far North Queensland.

We still value those early connections deeply — meeting people face to face, sharing stories, and seeing where our work ends up.

Alongside our textile and print work, our practice continues to evolve through exhibitions, residencies, and new projects.

We excited to also be developing workshops that will run at Sunbird Studios and online — a space for sharing our creative practice and connecting with community.

Sign up to our mailing list if you’d like to know more info on this.

Thanks for taking the time to read our story and support handmade work.

— Nicola & Neil

‘The linen tea towel is high quality and the rainforest leaf design fabulous! So perfect to give as an overseas gift - although it’s so tempting to keep!! Nicola is a delight to purchase from - so customer focussed as well as being a brilliant designer.’

Testimonial from Liz - 26 Nov, 2024

A woman with short brown hair, wearing a sleeveless beige top and loose beige pants, sitting on grass in a lush green garden with large leafy plants. She is smiling and holding a pen and clipboard, with her hand on a black and white dog that is sitti
Man working on digital illustration of a dinosaur on a computer in a home studio.
A wooden table with a weight plate and a tied cloth bag on top, with a red background in a white room.
A close-up of a row of paint-splattered wooden and metal panels leaning against a wall in a workshop or art studio.
Woman holding a framed artwork of a leaf with intricate vein details, viewing it in a studio or workshop setting.
Two artists, a woman and a man, are working on an art piece together at a table in an art studio.
Two people working together in an art studio, making a print using a screen printing process. The woman holds the screen steady as the man scrapes ink across it.
A woman and a man are working together on a screen-printing project in an art studio. They are pressing a squeegee over a screen with purple ink.
Man hanging a patterned shirt to dry in a laundry area.
Hands holding a note card with handwritten message about a travel adventure inspired by a photo of ghost gum at Trephina Gorge.
Two wooden panels with black and orange parrot illustrations and two plain, weathered wooden planks on a surface.
A man wearing glasses and a black and gray long sleeve shirt, smiling, holding a piece of wood with a parrot sketch in a woodworking shop that has various tools and artwork in the background.
A woman working on a wood craft project in a workshop, painting or detailing a small circular object on the table, with wood and artwork around her.
Woman with short hair smiling at a workspace with art supplies, art piece, and natural wood sticks, in a studio with shelves of paint buckets and colorful samples.
A woman holding and examining a skeletal leaf with intricate veins and decay.
A man and woman holding hands and smiling at each other amidst lush green tropical plants.
A woman and a man are holding hands and laughing in a lush, green jungle.
A woman stands outdoors holding a fabric poster about native stingless bees and plant flowers. She is smiling, with a flowering tree and a black fence behind her, and a yellow bee hive on legs nearby.

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