Biography
Taking a dip with Baskin.
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Serengeti days
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Paulina Zaborska was born in Lublin, Poland in February 1988 and immigrated to Ontario with her family when she was three years old. Though arts and crafts were always a favourite activity, her interest in drawing truly began to develop during the same time that she became - as many have put it - obsessed with horses.
At the age of eight Paulina took up riding lessons at a local farm where, for the next few years, she could be found at all hours of the day. A little girl with a passion for horses tends to walk around with a head constantly full of dreams. Paulina was no exception, and she found the process of drawing out her muses to be liberating. She drew elaborate scenes, studied and sketched movement, skeletal and muscular structure, gave her favourite horses silly cartoon aliases, and practiced portraiture. When at last she bought her own horse, the lovable and beautiful Baskin, her artistic prowess took on new dimensions as she found new ways to express her devotion to her muse. It was not until halfway through high school that she utilized her paintbrush and tried out her now-favourite media, acrylics. However, art was always a source of enjoyment and relaxation, and she never considered it to be a full time career. She focused her studies on the sciences in pursuit of a future as an animal researcher.
Paulina continued on to study Wildlife Biology at the University of Guelph, where she developed a love for field work. Always an adamant camper, she feels at ease and enlightened in the field and thrives in remote situations. She especially enjoys behavioral observation and adaptational animal physiology. During the summer of 2009, Paulina ventured to Tanzania for a field course on East African ecosystems and the tracking of malarial hotspots. She quickly fell in love not only with savannah wildlife but especially with African culture. It didn't take much for Paulina to set her goals on continuing to study wildlife in East Africa. In the meantime, intensive university courses did not leave much time for art study, though the promise of a new muse had her pulling out her paints in an attempt to find that piece of soul that was left behind somewhere in the jungles of the Southern Pare mountains.
Soon after, Paulina embarked on the adventure of parenting two little boys, which can be a daunting task not for the feint-hearted. Choosing to homeschool did not allow for an immediate return to the sciences. However, it allowed for two things: 1) a whole hearted attempt to immerse the next generation in nature appreciation, and 2) the return to art. As parenting can easily leave a person feeling claustrophobic, Paulina began to fully appreciate the ability of painting to somehow ground her while simultaneously being a means of liberation.
In 2018, tattooing was a natural and obvious transition for Paulina as it merged her love of biology and art, and allowed her to support her family as a single mother. While painting alone in a studio could sometimes be isolating, tattooing allowed for an immersive experience for both the artist and the client. Paulina largely caters to the equestrian community, and tattoos in many different styles while somehow staying true to her own style. Her designs incorporate a sketchy-style energetic flow, while being neat, illustrative, and bold. She loves to incorporate colour and whimsy into her work.
After the passing of Baskin in 2023, Paulina adopted a rescue mare named Ioni, the "dream horse" Spanish blue roan mare that is inspiration behind her newest work.
At the age of eight Paulina took up riding lessons at a local farm where, for the next few years, she could be found at all hours of the day. A little girl with a passion for horses tends to walk around with a head constantly full of dreams. Paulina was no exception, and she found the process of drawing out her muses to be liberating. She drew elaborate scenes, studied and sketched movement, skeletal and muscular structure, gave her favourite horses silly cartoon aliases, and practiced portraiture. When at last she bought her own horse, the lovable and beautiful Baskin, her artistic prowess took on new dimensions as she found new ways to express her devotion to her muse. It was not until halfway through high school that she utilized her paintbrush and tried out her now-favourite media, acrylics. However, art was always a source of enjoyment and relaxation, and she never considered it to be a full time career. She focused her studies on the sciences in pursuit of a future as an animal researcher.
Paulina continued on to study Wildlife Biology at the University of Guelph, where she developed a love for field work. Always an adamant camper, she feels at ease and enlightened in the field and thrives in remote situations. She especially enjoys behavioral observation and adaptational animal physiology. During the summer of 2009, Paulina ventured to Tanzania for a field course on East African ecosystems and the tracking of malarial hotspots. She quickly fell in love not only with savannah wildlife but especially with African culture. It didn't take much for Paulina to set her goals on continuing to study wildlife in East Africa. In the meantime, intensive university courses did not leave much time for art study, though the promise of a new muse had her pulling out her paints in an attempt to find that piece of soul that was left behind somewhere in the jungles of the Southern Pare mountains.
Soon after, Paulina embarked on the adventure of parenting two little boys, which can be a daunting task not for the feint-hearted. Choosing to homeschool did not allow for an immediate return to the sciences. However, it allowed for two things: 1) a whole hearted attempt to immerse the next generation in nature appreciation, and 2) the return to art. As parenting can easily leave a person feeling claustrophobic, Paulina began to fully appreciate the ability of painting to somehow ground her while simultaneously being a means of liberation.
In 2018, tattooing was a natural and obvious transition for Paulina as it merged her love of biology and art, and allowed her to support her family as a single mother. While painting alone in a studio could sometimes be isolating, tattooing allowed for an immersive experience for both the artist and the client. Paulina largely caters to the equestrian community, and tattoos in many different styles while somehow staying true to her own style. Her designs incorporate a sketchy-style energetic flow, while being neat, illustrative, and bold. She loves to incorporate colour and whimsy into her work.
After the passing of Baskin in 2023, Paulina adopted a rescue mare named Ioni, the "dream horse" Spanish blue roan mare that is inspiration behind her newest work.
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Ioni
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