[Gimp-user] Background color

[Gary Montalbine <gmontalbine cox net>]

I have an oval photo here:

http://knottsislandonline.com/kiscrapbook/miller.html

I am trying to get the white background changed to yellow to match the 
web page. I have followed the instructions in the GIMP manual for bucket 
fill, Foreground Select Tool, edit>fill with fg or bg color. Nothing 
works. The only color I can get is black when the fg/bg option is black. 
In the toolbox I have changed both fg and bg to yellow. Still no change. 
I would like to change a new canvas to the yellow bg color and then copy 
and paste my image onto it. How can I do this?
Thanks, Gary