MANSFIELD — Jac Googins thought she needed to paint specific subjects that people couldn’t find from other artists to be successful on her own.
“I know I have a style, but when it boils down to subjects, I love just painting anything that inspires me and I find that in a lot of different things,” she said.
In February, Googins launched a website including her portfolio and art for sale, featuring a variety of subjects and interests. She described her work as vibrant, abstract and textured and said she likes exploring themes of spirituality and everyday beauty.
“My piece called ‘Ruptured’ has a car in it, but it’s not about the car, it’s representative of an emotion,” Googins said.
Jac Googins' piece "Ruptured"
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Googins said she finds inspiration from people, architecture and nature.
“I love all of Mansfield’s old buildings,” she said. “And people inspire me a lot, so I’ve done plenty of portraits.”
The Mount Gilead High School graduate credits her art teacher Jesse Thompson with helping her expand beyond her comfort zone of mediums.
In advanced art classes, Googins said students weren’t allowed to use the same tools on more than one project, requiring them to get experience in multiple techniques.
Now 20, Googins started selling commissioned art at 15 years old. She said she occasionally takes requests, but is dedicating her time now to her own inspirations. Acrylic and gouache paints are currently her favorite mediums.
“When I was younger, I would use colored pencils and ballpoint pens to outline basic stuff,” she said. “Basically, anything I could get my hands on, I would just try to create with it.”
The artist moved to Mansfield last year and will be featured in a gallery curated by her mother-in-law, Diane Googins. Galleriá Ekkles will open May 5 above Relax, It’s Just Coffee, and feature different artists each three to six months.
Diane Googins said JAC Made It will feature around six pieces including “something that will surprise the city.”
“I don’t know what that is, that’s her element of surprise,” Diane Googins said. “Jac just wants to make people happy, which is great to see.
“She is different from most artists, including myself, because sometimes we get bogged down thinking ‘What’s my voice? and ‘What’s my statement?’ and she just wants to create art and make sure people are happy with the piece.”
The gallery’s location in downtown Mansfield is something Diane Googins said she hopes brings community members, business owners and artists together.
“One of the things about the gallery is that I didn’t want it to just feature my art, I wanted it to be a gallery that really gave each artist a voice and a good location,” she said. “So I’m hoping that others like Jac will emerge and create a sense of community.”
In addition to the upcoming gallery at 103 N. Main St, Jac Googins also has an architectural landscape painting displayed in 3rd Cup Tea.
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“Mansfield’s really fun and I love a lot of the people here,” Jac Googins said. “Something I honestly didn't really know before I moved here is that people here have a big heart for art.
“You see it all around the city in the different galleries, the museum and the murals. It’s such an active community, which is really nice to see.”
Googins sells her art online, and offers local pickup in downtown Mansfield. She said she is willing to ship art beyond Richland County if her customer base grows.
“I'm OK with where I'm at and if it becomes something bigger, then that’s great,” she said. “I want people to feel understood or think about things differently after looking at my art. And hopefully people don’t know what to expect next with my paintings.”
Ball State journalism alumna. Passionate about sharing stories, making good coffee and finding new podcasts. You can reach me at grace@richlandsource.com.
