Journey IntuArt

Eco Printing is inherently sustainable and eco-friendly.

Shon Profit is a long-time, full-time professional who is deeply passionate about artmaking. Her primary focus lies in the creative process and its potential to explore a deeper, more meaningful experience of life.

In addition to her own practice, she develops and teaches therapeutic art & music programs. She works through gallery-based initiatives that guide individuals in discovering the many dimensions of artmaking. These programs emphasize exploration, self-discovery, and connection—helping participants understand the world and themselves while forming meaningful relationships through the artistic process.

She brings to her work extensive training as a practical nurse, as well as formal education in the arts. She has also completed specialized programs focused on working with seniors, individuals with disabilities, and children. This unique combination of skills allows her to create inclusive, responsive programming that meets a broad range of physical, emotional, and cognitive needs.

She is a Certified Expressive Arts Facilitator & Consultant (Prairie Institute of Expressive Art Therapy- PIEAT), a Licensed Practical Nurse, a Certified Music Care Facilitator (Room 217), a Certified Death Doula (Douglas College).  She has additional training in Body-Focused Expressive Arts - Traumatized Children/Adolescents (advanced training- PIEAT), Heart-Centered Practices with Children & Adolescents: Blending Internal Family Systems with Expressive Arts Therapies (PIEAT), Integrating Expressive Arts and Internal Family Systems (PIEAT), Working in the Classroom with Learning Disabilities and ADHD (Disabilities Association of Ontario)- Applying art/music strategies with Neuro Diverse Children, Dementia Education (Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto), Dementia and the Arts: Sharing Practice, Developing  Understanding and Enhancing Lives (University College London, UK), Visual Art Journaling, Music & Movement Therapy, Protecting Your Memory Through Art, Indigenous Canada (University of Alberta).

Eco prints are unique, one-of-a-kind artworks created using plant material foraged from local yards and public green spaces. Through a natural dyeing process, vegetation is arranged on paper and then subjected to heat and moisture—often by steaming or simmering—allowing the plant’s natural tannins and pigments to transfer and bond with the paper fibers. This method captures Nature’s rich, earthy tones without the use of synthetic dyes or chemical mordants.

The process is inherently sustainable and eco-friendly. It relies solely on raw, biodegradable materials that are readily available and often considered waste, such as fallen leaves or kitchen scraps. By using local, seasonal vegetation and avoiding industrial materials, the carbon footprint is significantly reduced, making eco printing a mindful and environmentally conscious art form.

Each print is the result of experimentation and a sense of wonder—no two outcomes are ever the same. The unpredictable interaction of heat, moisture, and plant chemistry invites curiosity and deepens the artist’s connection to the natural world. Botanical elements in these prints include sumac, ‘Hot Wings’ maple, birch, horse chestnut, coleus, millet, carrot tops, orach seeds, and onion skins.

References:

Cliffe, Nicole. Printing With Natural Dyes. Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press Ltd., 2024.