Please vote every day!
Dear Art Supporters, I am running in a “People’s Choice” contest for the “People’s Artist” of the year, sponsored by the nonprofit gallery Elysium. If I place in the top 20 in the next week, I can move on to the next contest. They verify every vote through Facebook. Thank you! ~ Wren
“People’s Artist: Your work is already getting noticed! 🤩 Now it’s time to turn that attention into momentum.
Let your friends and family know that they can cast one free vote for you every day!
Where they vote:
peoplesartist.org/2026/wren-sarrow
It's early, and just a few votes could shape everything.”
The Democracy Bill
“Public Election Funding and Campaign Finance Integrity Act”
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
“By law, Federal candidates receive campaign money from a public system only. Private donations from individuals, corporations, or interest groups are not allowed. Campaign money belongs to the public.”
Section 1. Short Title.
This Act may be cited as the “Public Election Funding and Campaign Finance Integrity Act.”
Section 2. Purpose.
The purposes of this Act are to establish exclusive public financing for federal elections; eliminate private financial influence; ensure equitable access to candidacy; prevent the accumulation, transfer, or recycling of campaign funds among politicians; and restore public confidence in democratic governance.
Section 3. Definitions.
Federal office includes President, Vice President, United States Senator, and United States Representative. Public campaign funds are funds distributed under this Act for campaign purposes only. Private contribution means any monetary or in-kind contribution not authorized under this Act.
Section 4. Qualification of Political Parties.
Congress shall establish a national voting threshold required for political parties to qualify for participation in the public campaign funding system.
Section 5. Candidate Eligibility.
A qualified political party shall provide public campaign funds to any individual who applies to represent the party, submits at least five hundred (500) valid voter signatures, and has no felony convictions.
Section 6. Exclusive Public Financing.
Candidates for federal office shall finance campaigns exclusively through public campaign funds. No private contributions may be solicited, accepted, or expended.
Section 7. Administration of Funds.
Congress shall establish procedures governing funding amounts, distribution, permissible expenditures, and oversight.
Section 8. Disposition of Unexpended Public Campaign Funds.
Upon retirement, withdrawal, defeat, or completion of a campaign, unexpended public campaign funds shall be returned either to the candidate’s qualified political party or to the United States Treasury. No funds may be transferred to another candidate or individual. Parties may use returned funds only for party operations or future public campaign financing.
Section 9. Enforcement and Penalties.
Violations shall result in forfeiture of funds, civil penalties, disqualification from office, or criminal penalties where intent is shown.
Section 10. Rulemaking Authority.
Congress shall promulgate all regulations necessary to carry out this Act.
~WWS
Check out Valley Dude 70’s Constitutional reforms for Supreme Court Judges:
Pardons by Donald J. Trump
CityBuzz recognizes a need for expanded art platforms!
I googled myself today and found this wonderful article about my mission, I should let my former Universities know (-: City Buzz “Visual Artist Wren Sarrow Discusses Art Support Platforms in the Bay”
"Abraham Paintings with Bruce Sanders" conversation a semi-finalist with IndieX Fest
2026 Annual Awards
“As a semi-finalist — and considering the different judging panels for the monthly seasons and the Annual Awards — this project is now in the pool from which we will select the nominees for the 2026 Annual Awards.”
The annual shortlist will be drawn from 11 monthly qualifying seasons (January 2025 – December 2025).
Annual nominations will be announced in February 2026, and all nominees will be screened during our annual event in Los Angeles in Spring 2026.
This is the 5th monthly qualifying round of 2025.
Full List of Semi-Finalists
You can view the complete list of semi-finalists.
blu art E-Commerce Memberships Now Available!
As the Gallery Manager of TAG, I’m often asked how artists can expand their reach and connect with larger and international audiences.
One of the most effective ways I can support you is by showcasing your artwork across multiple online platforms—including Artwork Archive, Artsy, my website, and several additional e-commerce sites—helping your work gain greater visibility.
In addition, I specialize in writing compelling artist bios and exhibition statements, which are included as part of your membership. These materials not only strengthen your professional presentation but also help collectors and curators better connect with your work.
While I can’t promise immediate sales, artwork does sell—and I’ll provide you with feedback and data so you can see how your art is being received online. And if you’re not ready to show your work, I’ll gladly refund your investment right away.
If you’d like to learn more, feel free to reach out anytime at wren@sarrowstudio.com
About Studio 03, TAG
Since August 2022, I’ve been honored to serve as the Gallery Manager for The Artists Gallery. Shirley Asano Guldimann thoughtfully offered her half studio to me when I had to leave a studio next door in January 2023. Shirley, an artist herself, brought wonderful curators and great art to TAG last Spring in the show Positive Exposure: SoCal Asian American Exhibition.
I share Studio 03 with Elyse Wyman, a multimedia artist; she and Shirley are the TAG Group Show Directors. Elyse and Shirley each have two walls to display artwork, and there is room to host events for a few people.
I currently serve as President of the artHYPE Foundation. Last spring, Studio 03 held an 8-week class for the Preschool Art Workshop Students; it ended with a beautiful exhibit, and the reception was a lovely ice cream party. artHYPE recently held our artHYPE Art Exhibition & Evening Soiree at TAG, sponsored by the soon-to-open Miracle Mile Descanso Restaurant.
I post current shows from my space in Studio 03 on the front page of this website and Sarrow Studio Fine Art on Facebook.
Magenta & Ultramarine Blue Exhibition
Saving Studio City Golf & Tennis - 16-acre Open & Family/Community Space
Don’t read any further until first visiting : https://saveweddington.org/
At a recent Studio City Neighborhood Council meeting, a young stakeholder said,
“Nobody is building more green space.”
The Historic Preservation Commission recommended two distinct preservation areas for Studio City Golf & Tennis, 1. The Clubhouse, and 2. The Golf Course. The public attended the planning meeting to endorse the HCM nomination, but something suspicious happened. There was no public notice that the HCM nomination contents had changed, and the Planning Board and Council Member Paul Krekorian had gutted the recommendation, removing the Golf Course and replacing it with the generic “Recreation area.”. A lawsuit ensued, the judge stating there was no legal remedy. This needs to change because the Planning Board should be administratively accountable to the public. What’s more, we need to scrutinize the employees of the city-funded Planning Board to ensure that lobbyists’ “gifts” are disclosed. The Planning Board is not elected, yet it is heavily lobbied, which explains its pro-developer behavior, and it thinks nothing of placing misleading marketing pictures from Harvard Westlake public meeting announcements and zooms. Planning Board hearings were designed for public input, yet they insist on continuing Zoom or hybrid meetings instead of in-person meetings.
Standing next to a protest art installation of 5,000 stacked pages (recycled) addressing the Applicant’s 80 ft lights, 12 ft walls, toxic astroturf, loss of wildlife, and open space, Studio City Neighborhood Council Ad Hoc Committee In-Person Meeting at Radford Studios, June 2023
“Don’t worry you won't miss open space behind these walls; there isn’t any,” and “I love rare bats that used to live in palm trees.”
Political corruption has long been a problem in the development of Los Angeles. The lucrative nature of real estate has made it an atractive industry for politicians to exploit for personal gain. Developers seeking permits or zoning changes have often found themselves mired in bureaucracy, bureaucratic delays, and "pay-to-play" scenarios that require hefty donations to politicians' campaigns.
The influence of special interest groups and the leveraging of political power have created a system where corrupt practices are almost normal. Though efforts have been made to reform the system, many believe that the political culture of Los Angeles development remains deeply entrenched in a corruption that benefits the few at the expense of the many.
Harvard Westlake bought Studio City Golf & Tennis in a private sale. The previous owner did not allow the public to bid on the property then. City residents, as well as golf and tennis enthusiasts, oppose the destruction of the open-space golf course and ask for a public/private solution to preserve it.
Lessons For Private School Students, mirrored, Money is Power, Power is Money, Politics is Money, Money is Politics.
Comments noted during the ad hoc meeting, “The Applicant is not here tonight; they would not add anything positive,” and “Who can hire experts?” Commenting on the City Council leaning on “experts” in Land Use decisions.
Studio City Golf & Tennis hosts 80,000 to 100,000 Angelenos every year. Golf is more than just a leisurely sport; it significantly impacts the community. It encourages physical activity, social connections, and economic prosperity. Not only does golf provide individuals with a way to stay active and healthy, but it also brings people together by creating opportunities for socializing and networking. Golf courses serve as a hub for events and fundraisers, contributing to the local economy and promoting tourism. Moreover, charity events around golf bring awareness to various causes and raise funds for critical social issues. Overall, golf is essential in building and strengthening communities and improving the quality of life for individuals and society.
Harvard Westlake is falsely claiming that they are “building” open space. Nothing could be further from the truth; they seek conditional permits to eliminate 11-acres of open space along the Los Angeles River, leaving a narrow, five-acre trail that is already provided by the Zev Greenway.
Open space in urban areas is a valuable resource that cannot be taken for granted. As our cities continue to expand, we must prioritize preserving open space for the benefit of current and future generations.
What is the definition of open space, and what is the essential importance of saving open space in urban areas?
Open Space is open land that is not intensively developed for residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional use. Whether it is publicly or privately owned, open space serves many purposes. It includes agricultural and forest land, undeveloped shorelines, undeveloped scenic lands, public parks, and wildlife preserves.
Open space contributes to the overall health and well-being of the urban community. The physical and mental health benefits of access to nature are well-documented. Green spaces provide an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life, a place to connect with nature, and an opportunity for exercise and recreation. Furthermore, studies have shown that urban green spaces can improve air quality, reduce noise pollution, and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events.
“Bye Beautiful Driving Range, 100,000 Angelenos Cry, Bye Giant Tees, Council President K hates Plastic, mostly, Applicant’s FEIR = 10,000 pages, here are 5,000, Bye Bye Open Space, PFAFS coming soon!!!!”
Preserving open space in urban areas can have significant economic benefits. Green spaces can increase the value of nearby properties, attract businesses and tourism, and create jobs in environmental management and conservation. Open spaces are essential for biodiversity conservation and protecting our planet's natural resources.
As urbanization continues to expand, more habitats are being lost, and ecosystems are being disrupted. Preserving open space maintains a habitat for wildlife and helps protect ecological balance, especially along the Los Angeles River. Harvard Westlake’s project and other significant, pending river developments disrupt natural habitats for rare bats and significant trees that cool urban heat and clean the air.
20 year old Pigeon Series, and more, to show at TAG Gallery, Studio 03, March/April
False Pedestal, Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 in, 2003
Twenty years is a long time, a friend recently asked how much my life has changed since I painted these Brooklyn pigeons, and a lot flooded through my mind! Divorce, a new marriage, children growing up, moving back and forth from New Jersey to California, and still unpacking our home!
This exhibition is in the context of a whole new world, very post 9-11, post Covid, post Trump. Most people have more of an appreciation for animals today. We also know much more about the animal world, of which we are a part of. The human genome was first sequenced in 2003.
I’ve learned more about how much people love pigeons, even Mike Tyson, and how special they truly are.
Wren Sarrow
The day I changed my name was January 8, 2023.
It had been a long time wish, and the final decision was sparked by a young actress who had changed her name to Robin.
My name is Wren Woodward Sarrow, formerly Karen Woodward Sarrow. I was born Jayne Alves. and Karen Woodward was my given name.
Oil Painting Demo Tomorrow
I’ll be presenting a simple oil painting project for a few guests to TAG tomorrow.
Photo by @brittanyjeanphotography
Wren Sarrow with Veteran Protectors arrive a DAPL: Curvature: Girl from a rural village in China, 1999 Based on Photo by Gillian Woodward
#Primary exhibition, Nov 23 - Dec 17, Artists' Reception 12/3!
Eventbrite Tickets are available: https://fb.me/e/3FiujSFZN
So Cal Galleries showing StyroArt
Proud to show work in two So Cal Galleries until July 31, 202, Artfully Spaced Gallery and Laguna Beach Gallery
Contact me or the galleries if you’d like some Styro Art in your collection!
Artfully Spaced Gallery is also showing Selfie with a Solar Panel, and Hot Pink Mondrian I. Laguna Beach Gallery represents two large scale artworks We The People, FEM Mural and the oil painting Chain
Artfully Spaced Gallery
Photo by J.Coffey
Laguna Beach Gallery
Laguna Beach Gallery at the mall entrance
Just Turn It On Series
Finishing up large upcycled Styrofoam work. The name of the series comes from Coldplay’s song Miracles’ line “don’t go to war with yourself, just turn it on!” which is great advice for artists.
Also, these literally turn on with multi-color LED lights. The painted columns are affective without lights as well. The Sky Canopy is not painted. In the canopy, a strong blue light illuminates the semi-transparent, multifaceted, almost liquid structure of the EPS. Sky Canopy is still in progress and will mount higher. The columns/towers, Gray and Purple Columns need a few touch ups and to be attached to their wood bases.
Mondrian TV (see Master Reproductions below) was 37 x 60 in and sold in 2020, the largest work so far, and also based on TV packaging.
Manufacturers seem to have reduced the amount of TV packaging they use, or perhaps, just break it up so it seems like less? I think these 5 pieces (Gemini is two pieces put together) packaged two TVs.
Check out how to make your own https://www.facebook.com/styroartla
mercedes & gemini
Gray Column and Purple Column (Photo: Lady Lea Broken now at artHYPE Gallery)
mercedes
Gray Column (Mercedes)
GEMINI
Purple Column (Gemini)
sky canopy
first ‘lightfall’ sculpture
Sky Canopy (in progress)
NFT free (fun?) zone
Tomorrow Rebel Talent opens at artHYPE on Pico and 4th Ave. As I get ready to install this show today, green has emerged as a symbolic color that flows throughout the show.
The last two weeks almost every person I’ve met and every other art story is about NFTs. Jerry Saltz tweeted that everyone would own one.
As other artists have already observed, NFT’s are the epitome of Tech Bro culture (and their wives) and the billion-dollar art gatekeepers having a ball during desperate, violent times. They willfully ignore the environmental costs of crypto technology and pretend that buying carbon offsets reduces carbon. We can’t pay away carbon dioxide In the atmosphere.
In the last decade, many artists have moved in the direction of upcycling toxic and polluting materials in art, Aurora Robinson is an incredibly successful example of this trend. I have had some luck selling Upcycled work as well. NFT’s defy this trend.
And what are NFT’s? Images associated with an alphanumeric code on someone’s hard drive. NFTs are perception on the screen and images in the brain—an art so abstract and distant to human touch that any artist who makes anything with their own hands would be wise to reject this superficial art genre. NFTs are really only accessible to the few and the wealthiest people, who could do more to humanize our collective experiences, and value privacy, in society and the workplace.
UPDATE 2.20.23: I recieved a gift of an NFT recently, I’ve made one or two, but I’ve never bought any. I was struck by the obvious. This short video was probably made in Adobe Premiere and After Effects. I actually met the people who made it, lovely, and from Canada. After the video was polished and approved by the company who commissioned it, it was uploaded to an NFT platform to get it’s blockchain address. This seemed a ridiculous waste of time and resources. Why does making a video a “blockchain video” (aka an NFT) make it any more valueable? Why does giving it an identifying tile, with x number of copies with different titles, make it valuable? An artist could do this with a piece of paper for each client who buys a copy of their video (and artists do), which is much less impact on the environment. I think and hope that Gen Z will want nothing to do with Crypto, or NFTs, and that using blockchain technology for currency and art will fade into memory, for the con it is.
UPDATE 5.02.21: I can’t fault any artist who is inspired to create NFTs!! And I might as well. We just need to admit this is an environmental issue and commit to taking better care of our planet. We can use less electricity, and we do need a more humanized work/life balance in general. In Ready Player One movie (maybe not the book), the people created two days a week without the game…
KW Sarrow NFT-free zone Acrylic and ink on canvas, 9 x 12 in, March 2021
GUERNICA by Picasso Master Reproduction Project
Today I am thrilled to announce a commission from an L.A. art collector to copy Pablo Picasso’s pacifist mural of the nazi and fascist bombing of Guernica, Spain, painted in his home in 1937. Check for updates below.
MATERIALS
While large, this painting is a fraction of the original size. At almost 9 feet long, 48 x 106 in, ” unframed (35 sq ft). It will be the largest oil painting I’ve ever made, but not the largest painting, which is FEM Mural 96 x 80 in (53.6 sq ft). I am already studying the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía resources on this work.
Also, this commission sadly timed with the Rockefeller family taking back a tapestry reproduction of Guernica from the U.N.
PROGRESS
I stretched my own canvases for FEM Mural and We The People (80 x 60 in), but now that I’m running a gallery as well as a mask and sustainable gift business, I was happy to discover Square Deal Framing builds frames and stretches canvas. The complete canvas should be ready for delivery Saturday morning, and our son’s Bar Mitzvah is that evening!! I provided the canvas to the framer which is rolled out for trimming in this photograph (artHYPE, Noho - Anthony E. Hobson’s works on paper on display through March 15).
First Five Days
It’s raw and rough for the most part, I’ve spent the week making sure the architecture is correct and the relationships between shapes make sense in the drawing. Values need adjusting and many more details will be added, and refining will take place over the next four weeks.
Picasso was a fascinating painter, it’s no wonder this was his masterpiece. Guernica incorporates cubism, symbolism, surrealism, including beautiful lines and shapes that appear to be inspired by Matisse. I had never noticed that all the scenes take place inside architectural elements. There are interesting groupings, for body parts, and the fascinating light symbols tumbling together above the horse. Sun, Light, Lamp, in the middle of the composition.
Two Weeks
The painting has been in the studio for three weeks, but for one week I was mostly working on the Rebel Talent exhibition.
I became more careful about values and details as I moved from right to left. I was very loosely applying paint in the beginning, trying to figure out the complex composition most of all. Many analysts think about this composition in thirds, but I see it in halfs or quarters. The right half is far more abstract that the left. I was initially feeling challenged by the left side because there are so many figures and shapes. The left side also bears the most emotional impact, with the tragic mother and child suffering under the bull, and the detailed soldier on the bottom.
I became very interested in the symbolism here, because the bull doesn’t seem to be destroying anything, but most agree, and Picasso has stated that the Bull represents chaos, darkness and fascism. The horse represents the people of Guernica, fighting back and suffering. Analysts believe the electric bulb in the sun refers to the “bombs” and new tech that Germany used on innocent civilians. He read about this in the newspaper, and he creates a newspaper-like pattern on much of the horse (I’ll add this soon).
The bird fading into the background is the dove of peace. We can draw a triangle between the dove, the flower in the soldier’s hand, and the Russian crescent by the ghost figure of the right. In 1927, Picasso saw Russia as a positive ally for the people of Spain. Picasso’s lawyer, Roland Dumas, mentioned the rivalry between Russian and German painters during the French art exposition of the 1930s.
I listened to part of Picasso’s lawyer’s fascinating recollection of moving Guernica to Spain in the early 80s.
Three to SIX WeekS
This project went quickly! The final installation picture is with the Master Reproductions below, and here are the last weeks of work in progress.
MASTER REPRODUCTIONS
GUERNICA BY PABLO PICASSO, 1/4 of the original reproduction
Oil on canvas, 48 x 106 in, Commissioned for a home in Los Angeles, CA in 2021
Synagogue in Frankfurt by Max Beckmann, Reproduction
Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30 in, Commissioned by a CSUN university librarian in 2016.
Mondrian TV
Water-based enamel on upcycled Styrofoam, 37 x 60 in, 2020. An interpretation of Mondrian’s Large Red composition (2020 created for fun, now in a private collection in Los Angeles)
“
First let me tell you that every day when I wake up and see your work I get to appreciate it more and it’s probably one of the best decisions of my life to go ahead with this project.”
Meet Karen Woodward Sarrow
Thank you to my colleagues, family and friends, and SHOUT OUT L.A.
I have so many more people to thank (Thank you Yolanda Karsoyan, Gabrielle Panepinto Reiser pictured! and Susan B Haskell!!!) but I was happily making masks instead of resubmitting.
Also pictured and thank you! Randy Klinenberg, Odette Leonelli, Reggie Gooden Artist Voice Media and Stacy Gooden brighten_clothing, Ilene Woolf, amazing influencer and stylist (thank you!) DeAnna TheStylist DuPree hair stylist and art booster Rofia Salami and cheers and thanks to Westsidecomedy comedians; at Art Rebel: Ponti Lambros, Sandy Rosenholz Vicki Carr Nussbaum
Sponsor a Sherman Oaks Utility Box Painting!
http://www.letspaintshermanoaks.com/sponsor-a-box.html
Realism now
Recently, in the middle of Covid-19 I signed up with Julia Diller of L.A. Fine Art Atelier. We’ve been using face shields for several months and with Julia’s techniques created one of my most deeply realistic paintings for a California nurse.
Pregnant Giselle at the Ranch, Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in 2020
This is a picture of the last water-based oil painting Giselle’s Truck I did in 2019
Please check out TAG gallery this month for a wonderful art experience, including sculpture and figure drawings by Emil Rutenberg, mural-sized color field paintings by Douglas Teiger, and inventive resin and atmospheric digital work by Karen Hochman Brown:
I also took a head painting class with Andrew Park at LAAFA that really got me going on starting and finishing portraits more quickly.
Fisher Boy Cast, Oil on canvas, 12 x 12, 2020 Now available by request at TAG Gallery
Mask Project
Since March, Jonathan and I have been running a small Artist Made mask business, which has evolved and grown and lasted longer than I thought it would!
Sarrow Studio 100% Cotton Face Masks
We now create many sizes of comfortable, well-functioning (flexible nose, and adjustable elastic and string ties), double panels of 100% cotton, embroidered and fashionable masks!
Along the way we’ve had an unbelievable outpouring of support from customers (many friends and family, thank you so much!) and I still owe one dissatisfied customer in Brooklyn a free pigeon mask…
Most masks are $12.50 each. If you’re reading this art blog, just add BUZZ10 at the check out and save 10% on your order!
I came across this Larchmont Buzz page today and was so tickled to be featured on this local newspaper, so I thought I’d share the other ways our project has reached our community as well:
Sponsor the Larchmont Chronicle and get free bees mask!
Thanks to the Miracle Mile Chamber for promoting mask makers (-:
TAG Gallery bravely put the mask-making project of a member beside the incredible fine art featured in the May newsletter. Click the link to see the artwork of Katie Crown, Shalla Javid, and Sunhee Joo
360° of Healing Group Exhibition, Artfully Spaced Gallery
Just before the quarantine ASG Gallery held the 2020 opening for 360° of Healing. This opening was followed by artist workshops and interviews, it was all an incredible experience. Thanks so much to the Gallery and Directors, and those who came out that night! I met some wonderful artists from Nigeria and a local artist originally form Brazil, and amazing and talented L.A. artists. I was also thrilled to show with two of my colleagues from TAG Gallery. Being part of this show has been a special experience. The Gallerist Sibyl Walton is also an educator, and an amazing patron of the arts and artists. The gallery was already taking many steps to social distance on March 7. Tisha and Sherry came out, thank you!
The artists involved in the exhibition held workshops for visitors and each other, it was really a great experience. See all the artists work on Artfully Spaced Gallery’s website
Sibyl Walton, the Directors from Nigeria, and her partners hosted an awards ceremony for the participating artists after the opening, and previewed the upcoming catalog for 360° Degrees of Healing. Thank you!
It was my studio in Van Nuys that helped me produce new styrofoam and light art works. Three of these light works are showing at ASG Gallery in Culver City until July 31. Soft Pink, Slow Green, Blue Echo are made with upcylced styrofoam, and LED lights painted with glass paint.
