‘Her art is unmistakably hers’

As a pianist and composer, Brian Crain learned early the importance of taking risks with his work.  

It’s a lesson he shared with his daughter, Jaime —  one that he encouraged —  and one that she took to heart. 

“Any piece of art can be rejected,” Brian Crain said. “Every step is a risk. It hurts if it doesn’t work.” 

But, he added, an artist must try.

“If you don’t take a shot, you’ll always be thinking, ‘What if, what could have happened?’” the Hayden resident continued. 

So, like her father and other family members with artistic flair, Jaime Rome Crain is taking a big step to showcase her oil paintings. Earlier this year, she opened J. Rome Gallery on Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene. 

“It’s kind of an unbelievable thing,” the 25-year-old said. “It’s still sinking in. Being able to have my work on display in my own space is special. It’s incredible to be here in downtown Coeur d’Alene.” 

“To have everyone see it is insane,” she added. 

Jaime Rome Crain, born in Coeur d’Alene, earned her bachelor’s degree in fine art and graphic design from Whitworth University in 2022, receiving numerous awards along the way.  

She then began working full-time as a fine artist and for two years showed and sold work at galleries around the Pacific Northwest. After completing a six-month artist-in-residence program at The Hive with the Spokane Public Library, she decided it was time to follow her dream of opening her own gallery. 

It has been well received, with strong sales.

Her style is distinctive, involving self-portraits and combining contemporary and old-school techniques.  

Brian Crain referred to it as a “singular voice.” 

Great artists, he said, pour their heart and soul into their work. They leave no doubt that it is their creation.

Jaime, he said, does that.

“Her art is unmistakably hers,” Brian Crain added. “Nobody else is going to create like that. It’s not going to happen.” 

Jaime Rome Crain describes it this way: “Primary themes in my work are the beauty and power of the human mind and, exploration of the self, and human connection. Consequently, my motivation to create work is to express the intensity of certain emotions, memories and dreams using the specifics of the human figure.” 

She enjoys creating “heightened and dramatic color palettes” that push her work in a contemporary direction. 

“My work is meant to help those with heavy hearts feel seen,” Jaime Rome Crain wrote. 

She attributes her foundation to growing up in a family where creativity runs strong. 

She recalls painting and drawing in her room during childhood, then showing her art to her family and trying to explain what she was trying to do, and why.

Grandmother Bonnie Crain, Brian’s mom, excels in pottery. Crains have made their mark in photography, videography and of course, Brian’s piano music has been well known in the region for decades.

“Being successful at art oftentimes, it’s about family structure,” Brian Crain said. 

A family of artists can provide support, encouragement and help a new artist understand it’s a path that demands hard work, dedication and perseverance. And, you must love what you’re doing. 

Brian Crain said that with the piano, he found something he was good at, enjoyed and kept going. 

“Eventually, you find a market. You hone your skills,” he said. “You get better and better at it over time. 

“You find your people and your people find you,” he said. “If you’re not from an artist’s family, it’s hard to understand that.” 

Jaime Rome Crain gets it.

Among her favorite pieces is her “Blue Window” series, which she said is about contrast and perception.  

“Looking into the blue creates a mood drastically different than looking at the paintings as a whole,” she wrote. “I equate this to looking through a window into a life that is not one’s own.”

Jaime Rome Crain said painting is what she does, but an artist is who she is. 

“It defines and explains me in more ways than I realized,” she wrote. 

Her dad said she had a choice to study English or art in college. 

She made the right choice, he said with a smile.

“Make the world look a little more beautiful,” Brian Crain said.

    Jaime Rome Crain stands in her gallery on Sherman Avenue as a customer looks at her work displayed on the wall.