Jennifer Main

The Glory and Power of Faith

BY JOAN S. PECK

If you’ve never met Jennifer Main or have never seen her expressive, colorful art, you’ve missed out on both accounts—Jennifer, the person, and her artwork are extraordinary, exhibiting an aura of fun and a sense of spiritual well-being.

Jennifer is one of the most beloved native Las Vegas artists. As a young child, she relished the joy of using her imagination to create something out of nothing. She was passionate about her art and used it as a more comfortable avenue to communicate and express herself rather than using her voice. At an early age, she knew from deep within that her calling was to be an artist.

When she was in her teens, she applied for and was accepted into the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts as a fine art major. It is there where her own style began to emerge. She also attended the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago for a pre-college program.

Photograph of Dray Wilmore

At the age of 17, she showed her work at a local gallery called Art Encounter, and it began to sell within the first week. “I was so excited!” Jennifer recalls. Through her faith and her belief in God, Jennifer made up her mind that she was going to become a full-time artist. So, instead of attending college, she got the keys to open her own art studio just before high school graduation with the money from her art sales. By choosing not to attend college, she’d lose the financial support from her parents at the age of 18. Jennifer poured herself into her work—“I HAD to make it work.” Again, it was because of her faith that she’d succeed that she was able to move ahead.

She became the Art Encounter Gallery’s best-selling artist, and the owner, Rod Maly, took notice and became her exclusive agent and marketed her and her work in Las Vegas and around the country. Jennifer became an artistic phenomenon in her teens, and today is well known as an international artist.

Jennifer’s artwork uses bold, vibrant colors and keeps a sense of whimsy. She paints exaggerated abstract figures from her imagination and uses her work to illustrate the ups and downs of life’s beautiful journey. Jennifer is drawn to the duality of everything and enjoys themes of good vs. evil, happy vs. sad, light vs. dark, and pain vs. pleasure. “You can’t have one without the other.”

“I have learned from experience that some of the best things can potentially come out of the darkest times. I struggled with severe anxiety, depression, and addiction, but in the darkest point of it all, God answered my cry for help. I got to experience the supernatural power of His love and grace, which ultimately set me free. I came to know Jesus in a way that is so real that most of what I paint is inspired by how amazing God is! It just flows from my heart and onto the canvas!”

In January 2012, Jennifer and her husband, Jason, sold their house, packed what they wanted from their two-story home, and loaded it into a small U-Haul attached to the back end of their colorful painted cargo van and moved to Los Angeles. Following a hunch and a compelling desire to be there took faith on their part to believe it was the right move for them despite having no idea where they were going to live.

Faith is everything to Jennifer. I asked what faith meant to her. “As the bible says, it’s the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen. In other words, God gives a specific direction, and I have the faith to walk that out.”

“Girl on Piano”
by Jennifer Main

In Los Angeles, Jennifer and Jason found a work-live loft and made it function as both gallery and home. After a time, the loft life lost its fun factor, and the thought came that her dream of having a storefront retail space might be possible. They began the search and found a perfect spot, which was “a complete answer to prayer!” The Jennifer Main Gallery officially opened on Wilshire Blvd in downtown L.A. Jason took care of the gallery while Jennifer painted. All was going well, but when opportunities to travel with her art came up, they realized that they’d have to close the gallery because they didn’t have any staff to help out. Ultimately, they decided they wanted more flexibility, rather than the routine of operating a store. When Jennifer prayed about this, a vision came to her of chains around the gallery’s doors, indicating it was okay to close the retail space.

“We moved back into a work-live space, which was perfect! This space has actual rooms—haha!—and was exactly what we wanted. We’ve loved it so much that we’ve been here ever since.” Despite all going well, Jennifer began to feel some frustration and burnout by being an artist. She had been painting for the past 20 years and felt stuck, not knowing what to do next. “While at church one day, I had a vision of my paintbrushes burning, and I heard God say to put them down and to trust him…so I did!”

“Girl Reading Book” by Jennifer Main

What happened during those years?

JM: “It was a reset and a refresh. I discovered more about who I am apart from being an artist, and I have more confidence to fully be me—the fun, quirky, colorful me—without caring so much about what other people think!”

You’ve begun painting again. How does that make you feel?

JM: “It feels great! There is a new-found joy from the Holy Spirit that has made its way into my art. It’s even more colorful and more whimsical.”

Is there anything different about your painting this time?

JM: “For the first time, I began painting faces with a smile.” We both laughed.

What’s happening in your newly reinstated artistic journey?

JM: “I’ve been working on rebuilding a new website, which will have much more video content about the paintings. I have plans to start a YouTube channel where I can share the inspiration behind my work, share insights on faith, and testimonies of the supernatural.”

Where will your gallery be located?

JM: “My husband and I are working to have our current downtown LA space ready to be opened to the public by the end of January. It will display my artwork and operate as the Jennifer Main Gallery. In the beginning, it’ll be open by appointment and during set times, where I will hold creative classes, events, and times of worship and prayer. It’s going to be called “The House of Joy” and will be a 501c3.
“I’m designing the space to be like you’re walking into one of my paintings. Everything will be filled with bright, happy colors and quirky novelty items that I believe will spark that childlike wonder in all of us. My goal is to begin creating more merchandise from the artwork—clothing, plush toys of my characters, and other things like bags, greeting cards, adult coloring books, etc.”

Do you still create yearly calendars? If so, are they available for the readers?

JM: “I have a 2020 calendar out which features new work from this past year. It is still available on my website, and I plan to make a new one each year. The main way that I make my artwork available for sale now is through my website and social media.”

“Girl Laughing” by Jennifer Main

Do you do commission work?

JM: “I am also finishing a series of secret paintings for a long-time Las Vegas collector of mine. All the pieces he has commissioned me to create is going to be revealed in a big way. I have to keep it secret until I get closer to finishing the project, which probably won’t be until the end of the year.

“The last project I’ll share with the readers is a brand called Wonder Freak. It’s about celebrating our individual uniqueness as well as the weird world of the supernatural. This brand gives me a place to play in more of my quirky side, and it is available at a lower price point than my usual work. Wonder Freak artwork is a little more cartoonish with a freak show poster influence and will have a section on the JenniferMain.com site. You can also find it on Instagram @ wonder_freak.

“At times, I show my work in local LA galleries. When I paint live out on the street, I’ve found it’s a fun, exciting way to create and meet people!”

Gratitude and giving back is important to you. Are you still involved in donating your work for charities?

JM: “There are so many people to thank for supporting me. An artist is nothing without those who support it.”

“I remain active painting live for certain Las Vegas charities to raise money as they auction off my work at their fundraising galas.” [One of her paintings sold for $32,000 to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s hospital.]

Do you have any words of wisdom you’d like to pass along?

JM: “Let the desires of your heart and faith lead you – anything is possible!”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Jennifer or her artwork in person, but she has the ability through her faith and the way she creates her artwork that I find uplifting. Whenever I see her creations, it puts a smile on my face because there is something in it that reminds me of our humanity—and we humans can be a humorous lot. I can’t wait to see her all of her new work!