The Toronto Oil Painter Creating Quiet Worlds That Invite People to Slow Down

In a city that is always in motion, Toronto-based contemporary Canadian artist Sabina Fenn wants people to slow down and be present. Through her paintings, she creates what she describes as emotional shelters, tranquil worlds that invite people to pause, breathe, feel safe, and be present.

Based in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood, where she lives with her partner and their yellow lab Bella, Sabina’s practice is shaped by mindfulness and emotional presence. Her work mirrors the rhythms of her own life. Using soft textures, expressive brushstrokes, muted tones, and matte finishes, Sabina’s paintings feel less like staged scenes and more like memories – warm, and quietly emotional.

Working primarily with oil and cold wax, Sabina’s work captures calm interior spaces, simple flowers, slow mornings, dogs, coffee, books, and the small everyday moments that often go unnoticed and unappreciated. Her paintings feel soft, intimate, and deeply personal, offering a sense of calm in a world that often moves too quickly.

In an era where constant productivity, digital noise, and overstimulation shape everyday life, Sabina’s work offers a quieter counterpoint. Her paintings are not loud or overly dramatic. Instead, they ask viewers to notice what is already around them, the comfort of a familiar room, the softness of morning light, the presence of a pet, or the stillness of a simple routine.

Where It All Began

For Sabina Fenn, art has been part of her life for as long as she can remember.

Her creative journey began in childhood, making things by hand and experimenting with papier-mâché. That early instinct to create eventually grew into something much deeper.

While navigating challenges in high school, painting became a place of escape. What started as a creative outlet soon became a safe space, and over time, an essential part of her identity.

Painting has always been a branch of myself, like another arm. I can’t go without it. It’s deeply ingrained in my being.

Today, Sabina continues to follow that same feeling of escape, but more intentionally. Her practice has become a response to the pressure of living in a fast-paced world, choosing instead to create work that reflects slowness, intentionality, and presence.

A Practice Built on Calmness

As someone who identifies as a HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), Sabina is often affected by overstimulating environments, noise, light, and the city’s constant pace. Rather than shying away, she uses her painting practice to embrace it to create tranquil worlds.

Her work often features calm environments filled with quiet interiors, flowers, coffee, books, dogs, and peaceful domestic moments.

My painting practice has been a process of embracing this side of myself and creating tranquil worlds which I view as emotional shelters from the world.

This sense of calm is not just something she paints. It is something she lives, spending her free time walking slowly by the water with her dog Bella, gardening, sitting in local coffee shops, and observing the beauty in simple routines.

For her, dogs are a reminder of presence and mindfulness.

I think dogs are especially wonderful at helping us slow down and be mindful. They are the most present beings.

Painting Everyday and Relatable Moments

Much of Sabina’s work is centred on everyday moments: a cup of coffee, a flower arrangement, a quiet room, a moment of rest, or a dog peacefully existing in a space.

In a world that often celebrates speed and constant stimulation, she sees value in slowing down and paying attention to little moments.

I think a life well lived is intentional and present. Our world is just so fast-paced, and I find value and necessity in slowing down intentionally.

That belief shows up throughout her work. Her paintings are not just about what is seen, but what is radiates, encouraging viewers to pause and notice the small things that bring comfort, calm, and meaning.

Working With Oil and Cold Wax

Sabina primarily works with oil, often mixing it with cold wax medium to create a soft, matte finish.

The tactile nature of oil, the way it retains my gestural brush marks, is part of the painting itself and tells the story.

Environmental considerations also shape her choice of medium, as she is mindful of protecting wildlife, ecosystems, and the natural world; that awareness influences how she works in the studio.

For Sabina, oil painting is not only about texture and technique, but also about creating in a way that feels aligned with her values.

Sabina’s Creative Process

Her creative process often begins with observation then she fills her creative cup by visiting local coffee shops, exploring new environments, and paying attention to colours, textures, and small details that catch her eye.

She often carries a small sketchbook, creating line drawings from life or from subjects that inspire her. Those sketches are later brought into the studio and transferred onto canvas. From there, she paints without reference photos, allowing colour and composition to unfold naturally.

I prefer to choose my colours intuitively without relying on what they ‘should’ be.

Once the sketch is on the canvas, she begins painting with her oil-and-cold-wax mixture. There is no strict formula. She starts where it feels right and follows the piece’s energy, stopping before burnout sets in.

Turning Art Into a Business

For Sabina, building a career as an artist was an intentional choice.

After university, she began seeing artists on Instagram creating sustainable careers and realized there were creative paths that did not have to be built around constant hustle. That realization helped her see that art could support her life in a grounded and intentional way.

I realized there are career paths that don’t involve constant hustle, and that my art could support my life in a grounded and intentional way.

Before fully transitioning into fine art, Sabina spent 9 years as a freelance illustrator, building several revenue streams that now support her artistic practice.

Her painting practice follows a defined cycle: an incubation phase, studies and colour exploration, an intense period of painting, and then the release of the work into the world. It is not a linear structure, but it supports her creative rhythm.

Creating a Sense of Safety Through Art

When people experience Sabina’s work for the first time, she hopes they feel calm, stillness, tranquility, and a sense of safety.

At art shows, she says she can often tell when someone truly connects with her work.

I always know who my people are when they walk into my booth at an art show. I can see it in their eyes.

For Sabina, that connection can be difficult to put into words, but it is exactly what art is meant to do (Once you see it, you know it)

Through her paintings, she hopes to bring the same calm she seeks in her own life into others’ homes.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, one of her biggest goals is to do an art show in New York, a milestone that feels both exciting and a little scary.

You never really know what’s going to click. Sometimes you focus on one area and something else entirely opens up.

Currently, Sabina is working on a spring collection of paintings while preparing for several local exhibitions this summer. She is also continuing to build her fine art practice, client base, and presence online.

Through her work, Sabina offers a gentle reminder to slow down, notice what is around us, and find beauty in quiet moments, you can keep up with Sabina’s work and stay updated on her latest projects via Instagram.

As part of our Toronto Creatives series, efosa continues to spotlight the people, founders, and visionaries shaping the city’s culture.

Editor’s Note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.