At the age of eleven Vera Cummings was awarded a scholarship to attend Elam School of Fine Arts. She was one of the youngest pupils to attend the school.

From here she became a pupil of Goldie, and was considered the only one to produce the same natural colour of Maori skin as Goldie painted.

Her studies of Maori were in great demand for sending overseas and as well as choosing the same subjects as Goldie, for example Sophia Grey (Guide Sophia), she painted many other well known Maori from the Auckland area.

Text reproduced from p. 157 C F Goldie Prints, Drawings & Criticism Alistair Taylor & Jan Glen. First Published 1979 by Alistair Taylor, Wairua, Martinborough, New Zealand.