Velma Gordon

Art

Velma Ione Gordon started painting when she was 60.

She started working in the fields of Arizona and California picking grapes and cotton before landing a job in a sewing factory in Sanger. From there, she was certified to teach home economics in Madera Schools - a job she did for five years before moving to Manteca.

By the time Gordon turned 81 in 1995, she had literally painted thousands of canvasses ranging from landscapes and florals to southwestern art and portraits. She has also taught hundreds of students despite the fact she has no formal training in art.

Gordon is active in the California Fine Arts League, Manteca Artists Guild, and has helped spark an appreciation of art by volunteering in her church, schools, and at the Manteca Senior Center.