Home > Classes > Upcoming thangka courses > Special Extended Weekend Course, Venice, Italy, March 21 to 24 or 27, 2019

Coloring/Painting the
Mandala of Green Tara
(Part 2/2)

or Green Tara instead of the mandala

Thu 21 to Sun 24 March 2019
> with an optional 3-day extension (more info will follow) incl. special sightseeing places!

The course is offered in English and will be professionally translated in Italian

Because of Carmen’s three month stay in Venice we decided to offer an extra course in March 2019 and give you the opportunity to dive deeper into an amazing subject: the Mandala of Green Tara or Green Tara herself. In the first course (8-11 nov. 2018) you will learn how to draw this subject, and in this second course (21-24 March 2019) you will learn how to color or paint your artwork with the right techniques.

In this extended weekend course at a typical Venetian Palace on a canal in Venice’s historical center, you will learn how to paint / color the Mandala of Green Tara (or Green Tara itself) according to the tradition of Tibetan Buddhist thangkas (Tibetan scroll paintings).

Green Tara, the female manifestation of active compassion, reaches out her hand to grant all wishes and, with her right foot outstretched, is ready to step down and help all who call upon her.
Tara is one of the most revered deities of Tibetan Buddhism and there are numerous stories of people that were saved from fears and difficulties while calling her name.

Green Tara can be seen as one of the first emancipated women. When other -male- practitioners told her to pray for incarnation in a male body so she could reach enlightenment, she made an adamantine vow: “Until Samsara is empty, I shall work for the benefit of all sentient beings in a woman’s body.”

Carmen Mensink will guide students through the cultural/historical context of thangkas and symbolism within Tibetan-Buddhist art through the combination of art, slide shows and meditations.
There will also be a detailed explanation of the Green Tara Mantra.

Drawing a Mandala or Buddha is a meditation in itself and creates inner peace and joy. When you’re a Buddhist practitioner, the drawing of the Buddha can improve your visualization meditation on a great scale. Buddhist lamas say: “When you draw a Buddha, you are drawing your own mind.”

The course will be given in English – with an Italian translation – and is suitable for beginners and advanced. It is not necessary to have drawing experience.
Beginners will first draw a Buddha Face before moving on to drawing the complete figure or mandala.

Part 1:
Drawing the Mandala of Green Tara, 8-11 Nov 2018

Learn how to draw the Mandala of Green Tara (or Green Tara instead) according to the traditional art of Tibetan thangkas.
(on March 25-26-27 we will be painting in the morning and go for special sightseeing in Venice in the afternoon).
NOTE ABOUT REGISTRATION: As space is limited, priority will be given to students who join both courses.

More Info & Registration
For more information, cost and venue please check out the following:

Dates, time, price

Course 1 / Oct 8-11, 2018:
Thursday evening 8 Nov.: 20.00 – 21.30 (8-9.30pm) Introduction + Lecture about the subject, ending with drinks and snacks
Friday 9 Nov.: 10.00 – 18.00 (incl. lunch break)
Saturday 10 Nov.: 10.00 – 18.00 (incl. lunch break)
Sunday 11 Nov.: 10.00 – 17.00 (incl. lunch break)

Course 2 / March 21-24, 2019:
Thursday evening 21 March: 20.00 – 21.30 (8-9.30pm) Introduction + Lecture about the subject, ending with drinks and snacks
Friday 22 March: 10.00 – 18.00 (incl. lunch break)
Saturday 23 March: 10.00 – 18.00 (incl. lunch break)
Sunday 24 March: 10.00 – 17.00 (incl. lunch break)

Price:
Course 1 (8-11 nov 2018) + Course 2 (21-24 march 2019): ~~€480~~ €450 including: coffee, tea, biscuits and fruit
You pay €270* before the first course, and pay the rest (€180) before the second course.
* In case you don’t join the second course you will not get the €30 deposit back

Optional extension 25/26/27 March 2019:
More info and price on the extension (painting in the morning, sightseeing in the afternoon) will be announced later this year.

Price only Course 1:
€240 (to be paid upon registration), only possible when there is enough space. Note that priority is given to students who join both courses.

Optional for each course: 3 large vegetarian lunches for €45, freshly made by the owners of this beautiful place, including red and white wine.

On Saturday there will be a dinner party, also optional.

Materials to bring

Course 1 (8-11 Nov.):

Thick drawing paper size 50x65cm (if you want to work on a square paper for the mandala we can cut it to 50×50 / 45×45 / 40x40cm)
ruler 40-50cm
pencil HB (regular or mechanical pencil)
an eraser
compass
(optional: colored pencils)

Note: the materials for Course 2 (21-24 March 2019) will be announced at the end of Course 1

Location

Palazzo Minotto / Pianizzola (2nd floor)
Sestiere di Santa Croce n. 143,
Fondamenta Minotto,
Rio del Gaffaro (close to fondamenta dei Tolentini)
Venice,
Italy

This is close to Piazzale Roma where the main train station of Venice is (S. Lucia) and all the busses arrive.

Where to spend the night

You will have to find your own hotel in Venice, or check Airbnb.

You can also ask organizer Giovanna Carraro to help you to find a reasonably priced place to stay.

There is limited space to sleep in the room of a nearby Buddhist center when bringing a sleeping bag, for a minimum of €15 per night (maximum of 6 people).

Registration

Please register with Giovanna Carraro a.s.a.p. to avoid disappointment should the course be full.
Send an email to Giovanna: giovannacarraro(at)gmail.com (in English or Italian), or call her a: (+39) 346-0291778 (in English or Italian)

More pictures of the International Thangka Courses in Venice can be found here