About Velma

Hi, I'm Velma — an atypical Southern girl, born into the baby-boomer generation, with a life shaped by music, movement, and color.

In 1968, I came to Los Angeles for a summer and stayed five years. That season changed everything. I was selected as an original Soul Train dancer by the show's Team Coordinator — who also happened to be my ballet teacher. We'd dance sixteen hours straight to film two shows, and I loved every minute. I still love to dance — always, anytime, anywhere.

Back home, I pursued my education at LSU-S, then found my way through life the way many of us do — working hard, because my mom always said, "If you don't work, you don't eat."

Eventually I made my way back to Los Angeles. Over the past 35 years I've become a licensed cosmetologist, earned an AA in Mortgage Finance, a BA in Psychology, and a missionary license. But it was an unexpected detour that led me to my truest calling.

Ten months into my cosmetology career, a workplace injury put me on the sidelines for five years. During that time, I picked up a brush and painted my first abstract — and I've never looked back. That same feeling I get when paint meets canvas is what drives every piece I create.

I hope you enjoy the work as much as I enjoy making it.