Jean Ames was a California painter, muralist, sculptor, ceramicist, and mosaicist. She was born on an orange ranch in 1903 near Santa Ana, California. Goodwin studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, Pomona College, UCLA, Chouinard Art Institute, and received her master degree from USC. In collaboration with Arthur Ames, her husband, she designed mosaic panels for the patio of the Newport Harbor High School.