Courses

Dear Carmen and student’s,

The course was a wonderfull experience for me. It gave me a lot of inspiration and energy. From day one I was surprised by that energy that befell me.
I have been drawing different buddha’s before, but with White Tara there was a connection, I never had experienced before. Her mantra keeps coming in to my mind. Last night even, I dreamt that the buddha Amithabha, her companion above her in the drawing, presented to me the bowl he is holding in his hands. Now I probably have to figure out what it means for me 🙂
He is the buddha of meditation and maybe he says to me to take more time to meditate. I find this the most difficult exercise. It seems never to be the right moment to sit and meditate :).
I’ve enjoyed every aspect of this course including the lectures. I was very happy that I could go back each time to the information. It gave me a lot more time to take it all in, as English is not my native language.
I have dedicated the drawing to my oldest sister who is going through a difficult period after an open heart surgery on the 8th of October.
Hope to follow more of your courses in the future.
Thank you Carmen for your warm energy.

Love Gé

This was an amazing course. I loved that I can draw on a smaller size of paper (A4). It was easier to handle. I wasn’t familiar with these symbols, I enjoyed getting to know them.

I very much enjoyed Carmens guidance, the step by step approach and her love for Thangka’s and their history and meaning. Especially the iconography, so well listed and clearly explained. It was a joyful time for me and for everyone in my house. Thank you Carmen!!!

A Heartfelt Thank You for an Inspirational Thangka Art Course

Dear Carmen Menssik,

I want to express my deepest gratitude for your Thangka Art Course. Your dedication to preserving tradition while infusing contemporary insights has created a transformative and enriching experience. Your teaching not only honed my artistic skills but also guided me into the spiritual depths of Thangka art. Each lesson was a journey, and your unwavering support fostered a beautiful sense of community. Thank you for sharing your expertise and passion, making this course an unforgettable exploration into timeless beauty.

Sincerely,

Ana Tagliaferro

Good course, with clear instructions. The online course turned out better than expected for me. I already had drawing experience though Carmen’s onsite courses.

I enjoy the combination of all the different elements. I feel that it is a rather detailed and in depth course like I would receive if I were there in person.

I actually found the meditating the most useful to me. I suffer from anxiety and noticed that I was calmer after every session. I was also interested in the background of Tibetan medicine. So much so, that I even ordered a few books on the subject.

I loved the course and in fact it far exceeded my expectations.
Having done the Buddha face and Medicine Buddha courses I was really looking forward to this. A request to return to work full time put a spanner in the works for my time planning but I eventually managed to dedicate a few days.

It was difficult if Im being honest. Im still getting used to drawing and erasing the grid lines is quite a big deal. Especially with the face where I was happy with it at first but having to go over small details after erasing the face changed quite considerably. I’m glad I got it done in time though as trying to do this without the videos would be really tough and Im not sure how it might turn out.

The tutorial videos are so helpful and the background info and practices are excellent. I loved the little touches like getting a gift of bookmarks – they’re fabulous ! and learned just how valuable a mono zero eraser is !! Looking forward to finding time now to learn to colour. Thank you so much. Its been a fantastic course.

It was my first time attending Carmen’s Thangka painting retreat and it turned out to be one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. Carmen was able to attend to individual’s needs although it was a big class of participants with mixed experiences. I also loved it that Carmen not only taught us how to do Thangka painting, she made sure that we understood the symbolism of the deities that we were painting through the daily morning meditation and evening lectures. She also made special efforts to introduce Sri Lankan Buddhism art history to us to prepare us for our tour after the painting retreat. It was a great 10 days with an inspiring teacher, great company, wonderful accommodation at a meditation centre with delicious meals. Can’t ask for more!

The class exceeded my expectations. There was so much information, from learning about the history and background of the Medicine Buddha and Tibetan medicine; the meditation, the Medicine Buddha mantra and chanting to the actual drawing and coloring. It was very helpful to have Carmen’s guidance during the zoom meeting. The class was a joy to experience.

I thought I would never be able to draw all the details of White Tara but I found increasing confidence in my abilities as I put pencil to paper. Now can’t wait to do the shading and coloring course! It was a pleasure to learn about the history of Tara and have an opportunity to do the meditations. Thanks Carmen! Look forward to many more!

I do have some drawing experience but found the level of focus and concentration needed for the mandala a challenge! Thank you again for making these courses available for us at home in such a meaningful and caring way. It is an inspiration in many ways!

Hi Carmen 🌷
I will have to retake the course of the Coloring Techniques.
I only went through almost every module but didn’t really practice. I love it thought very much! So well explained …
Next time I will probabile focus only on that …
I will take with me what I have learned and keep on practicing.
I feel truly delighted by the experience of the White Tara drawing.
I am sending you where I am at so far. I love very much that you never put any pressure on us for finishing the paintings, rather encourage to take your time and refine your skills. That is the true painting of an artist ! Life goes with it, feelings, sensations,
perceptions …. ah this!
All is in movement, all is interconnected…
may your be happy
may you be well
may you be safe
Namaste Cara tanto amore 💗🙏🏻e tante grazie ☺️ da Mara

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked how the art lessons were broken down so that I didn’t feel overwhelmed. I also enjoyed learning about the history of the Thangka, and participating in the meditations. I feel that it was an all around great course, and I’m glad that I got to participate.
I feel that the drawing video was the most useful to me. I liked how the individual lines were shown step by step on the video.

I loved everything about this course! I loved the meditation and learning the history and symbolism of Thangka drawing.. Carmen is an excellent teacher. I loved the special videos that were interspersed throughout.. I have drawn since I was a child, but always fascinated by Buddhas and too intimidated to try them..I knew they were sacred. I was so pleased to see my drawing when it was finished, and see that my own drawing was sacred too. Thank you Carmen.

I have really enjoyed this course, especially the weekly presentation of each auspicious symbol. This helped me pace myself so that I felt able to draw and colour the mandala, finishing each week with a real sense of achievement.
The opportunity to share progress with other students spread cross the world via the discussions was a marvellous experience for me.
This course has been a real joy.
Thankyou Carmen

Thank you Carmen for providing such an enriching and serene experience with this Medicine Buddha course.
Though not an artist by any standards, your course, that was structured so beautifully, helped me draw the Buddha and have a meditative experience too in the process. Kudos to you for setting up a great online course that guides us all the way with greatly paced and instructional demos.

This was (is) a beautiful, meditative experience which is helping me get through this difficult time. I look forward to taking another class in the future.

I really liked the meditations and background stories. They put me so well in a concentrated and restful mood. It made it easier to remember all the tips and tricks also! My mind worked better! I enjoyed the pencil drawing, and precision, but had some troubles with the paint and size. Eveness of this paint (cobra, oil/watermixable) was not so easy.. I really liked being able to keep editing the final, with the same paint as well as with acryl and acrylic ink (liquitex). I also liked staying long with the basic colors green, red, yellow and blue, which resemble for me Maitri, Karuna, Mudita and Upekkha.

I noticed it is challenging to make all the lines symetrical and positioned so that I liked the expression of the smile. Also the painting was challenging, to get an even, or shaded layer. I felt good about learning to concentrate on smaller brushstrokes, and keep the rest in breathing as well. I notice when I stop breathing at particular difficult lines. It was a lot of fun touching up at the end, small lines, small corrections. polishing.

Thank you so much Carmen for (again) this wonderful journey through Tibetan artwork en Buddhism. I enjoyed every step, each week another symbol and another aspect to explore in myself. What is the meaning for me, what can I improve. Some symbols were easy to draw, flowing, others were exciting or I noticed some resistance in myself. And that matched the way I felt about the meaning of the symbols at first. After drawing that changed for some symbols, others have a deeper meaning now.
The teachings, lectures and meditations are very supportive, give a wider perspective of the symbols.
Throughout the course I became more at home in myself, happier and happier.
THANK YOU!

It was great, and I learned a lot, Thank you Carmen! The most difficult part was seeing/ understanding how the Buddha’s eyes are not as open as depicted, so more practice Needed! Very clear instructions and the supporting info very helpful.

The course felt thorough. Carmen is adept at instruction and encouragement!
I loved learning about the mantra. I learned a lot in my one-on-one Zoom session.

I didn’t think I could draw a full Buddha. It was a great experience. I learned a lot about thangka methods, working with pencil, and colors. In addition, learned about the Medicine Buddha and his mantra, plants, symbolism.
Thank you Carmen!

Dear Teacher, this course was an incredible experience for me. 9 weeks of deep immersion into Buddhist teachings and meditative drawing. I’ve learned so much and gained confidence in drawing. I left some of my works little bit unfinished, so I can go back to them and enjoy the process again and again. I will be waiting for new courses to come! Thank you for an unforgettable retreat, Carmen! You are a great Master ❤️❤️❤️

Tashi delek, Carmen, it’s so nice that at the start of the Colouring Techniques Course you indicate to be especially ‘playful’. I find that I did quite well during this course. I really enjoyed ‘silent drawing & coloring like a child’. I completely agree with your vision of ‘bending the rules of color theory’ BUT ‘to be respectful to the tradition and lineage of Tibetan Buddhist Thangka Art’. I hope to learn even more from the lineage and tradition at the White Tara Thangka Course. An eye opener for me was ‘imagine the light coming from within’. It has already helped me and will continue to help me. Thanks for these valuable ‘preliminaries’, Annette

When I enrolled in this course I had little to none experience in drawing. Still I wanted to try it and I do not regret my decision. This course is not just about learning to draw the 8 symbols. It is also about reflecting and meditating on what you are doing, and learning the origins of the symbols. Even when I didn’t complete the drawings I feel that I gained a deep understanding of the symbols by watching and taking notes of the the teachings, lectures and complementary materials. What I enjoyed the most of the course were the lectures, the meditations, learning the mudras os each symbol and drawing the grids for each symbols.

I had a little peek at your free medicine buddha lecture.. So in my heart i knew this course would be awesome.. However you far exceeded that expectation..
i love the combination of story meditation, pictures, and bonus materials.. and yay i get to sing the mantra with you…

loved your approach beginning with meditation, your through explanations of words meanings, and story.. and wow even you can pray in tibetan language. the language is art in itself, the art,language, prayer, meditation, story, all In one.. so beautiful yet you are bringing this to a wider audience. Our world needs so much healing.. big gratitude for your heart…

beautifully done…hope to see more courses in the future, I’m already signed up for medicine buddha thangka course so excited…

Wonderful it couldn’t be better ! A perfect timing where the energy of each symbol matched with my daily experiences in a incredible positive interdependence!
I didn’t have drawing experiences before and to take this course as a retreat naturally brought me to enjoy drawing and relax painting!
Great dynamic of a excellent warm hearted teacher.

I really enjoyed doing the course, especially that the exercises you made were used to the end to practice all the techniques. By taking pictures in the meantime, you can see step by step what the exercises change in the drawing.
I found the connection with the Dutch Masters very interesting and as a result of that the first exercise also, only this way of shading I have not encountered further in the course and I have not applied this way.
The course will certainly help me with coloring the White Tara; I did not use the course on the Face of the Buddha, because I had not fully worked through the course then. The course has more than lived up to my expectations.

This course was perfect in every way for me. The teaching of the dharma, the mantra chanting, the meditation, the history and the clear, concise instruction all combined to create this rich and meaningful experience. Thank you.

I liked everything! Would love to join an actual class sometime in the future. Carmen’s teaching is clear concise and VERY helpful. Thankyou.

Thank you Carmen. It’s been great to ‘begin’ drawing White Tara through the zoom course. Incredibly well presented and delivered giving a real retreat feel, especially at such a time when we can’t meet in person.
It’s been lovely knowing that around the world we have all been focusing on White Tara at the same time.

It was a fantastic journey drawing the Buddha
Felt so calm and balanced after finishing the drawing

It was a special experience for me to participate with an online course from Carmen instead of an course on location. The films, information and bonus material that came with it was a pleasant surprise.🌟

It was an enriching experience to learn more about the 8 Auspicious Symbols that gave me a lot of inner peace in a challenging period for me.🙏🏽

I haven’t finished my mandala with the symbols yet, but I have enough information with me to continue and create moments for myself to continue working on this.🌟

Thank you Carmen for all your efforts and your valuable enriching lessons!🙏🏽❤

Thanks for the teachings, I never thought I could do a Buddha face!
An amazing journey… Thank you Carmen!

The courses Carmen has created for her students are Amazing.
I had no drawing experience and yet I was able to see wonderful Buddhas arise with the aid of Thangka history, Buddhist teachings, mantras. and a wonderful instructor who makes it all so accessible.
The meditative drawing experience for me is one of peaceful, single pointed focus and development of patience that I never thought I could achieve.
Buddhas arising from paper and pencil… what a Joy!

May All Benefit

I loved this class. I used to draw all the time, and then as I got older did it less and less, feeling I had plenty of time to draw between doing other things I wanted to do, particularly as a writer. But something always felt like it was missing. After I began practicing Buddhism in 1997, I started to translate the Kangyur into English with 84000, but continued to think of that something missing from my childhood. I made friends through drawing and writing. 

Carmen’s course tied in my Buddhist practice to my current state of mind, as well as how I was as a child, but in a new way, that all was well at whatever age I have reached. When I was drawing my first Buddha’s face, there was something exciting, surprising, and comforting doing so, knowing that I was revealing my mind. Thank you so much for this class.

The background information and the step by step drawing guide were very helpfull. It was an opportunity to do this e-course and it was very joyfull. I loved the information about the Buddhism and the step for step explanation for drawing the Buddhaface. Also very good was if you asked a question, the answer became very quick. I am very satisfied about this course.

Loved the course
Was a spiritual journey of growth and deeper understanding
Made me introspect a lot without realising it
Thank you carmen
God bless

Oh I loved it so much! The history of the symbols, the meditations, and of course, the challenge of drawing the symbols using the grids was so inspiring. I couldn’t WAIT for Fridays to see the new lesson!! Seeing the work of my colleagues was inspiring, and Carmen’s vast knowledge and direction was incalculable. I feel so blessed to have been able to take this course with Carmen and can’t wait for the privilege of taking the next! So blessed

I love the way the course is laid out and developed, taking us through each step with lectures and then exercises. I enjoyed the lectures about the old Dutch masters very much, and the way Carmen segued into Tangka.
It’s very clear and helpful and now I feel I have the knowledge to complete my drawings from previous classes.

Thank you for your precise instructions as well as perspective and access to you directly. Being a complete amateur in all things art, the Coloring Techniques Course was so valuable to me. I think I enjoyed the shading and blending the best, although I find I am quite timid about shading. I am getting bolder. Here is a coloring of the lotus where one has no blending and the other I used water color pencils and blending.

This course was “thangka healing” for me! I haven’t picked up a pencil in almost 3 decades until last year, starting with Drawing the Buddha Face. An epic self-critic and always behind, I just love these courses because they give such rich insight into the symbolism and even profound teachings. It is a pleasure/pain thing. I held off on registering for The 8 Auspicious Symbols – until I ‘received a symbol’ so to speak. A mention of the symbols in an unlikely circumstance. So I signed up.

The approach worked for me. “Many ‘little’ drawings, frequently” is what I call it. I contacted Carmen in a state of despair after the first symbol – the scarves were my obvious path (read: terror). But there they were again on Symbol 3, and 4, and after I realized it, I was drawing scarves without the enormous mental overlay! A personal breakthrough. Don’t ask me to get creative with them, I still go by the models. But one day…!

I’d say it got me used to “tackling the grid” right at the outset, and going right into drawing. I have a strange sense of time, like it’s infinite or something? This got my “hustle” on! It was exactly what Medicine Buddha ordered.

While I can’t profess confidence, I have a LOT less fear of that looming blank sheet of paper. Much like the Pair of Fishes, I just needed to go deeper into the water to get out of the choppy waves of my mind. And….practice practice practice! 💜🙏

This course is easy to follow, and I’m excited by how quickly I was able to make a passable thangka. I had very little drawing experience, but a lot of passion.

I LOVED the course Carmen. I am so looking forward to drawing more Buddha faces and especially trusting my hand to attempt a Thai Buddha face. I used to take art classes and drawing classes as a kid up through high school, but haven’t done much since then. All of my expectations and more were met. I found it challenging and so much fun…to the point that is all I have wanted to do all week! The most interesting part was drawing my own imbalances of my face and using practice, concentration and trust to balance it out. Amazing really. I am really excited to go into the Medicine Buddha course next. Thank you so much for this offering!

My expectations going into the course where to get more in touch with the aspects of buddhism regarding the drawing of the Buddha.
I was surprised on how well structured and detailed explanations were available for each step.
The history before the drawing classes i believe add so much value because it brings the attention of the importance and significance of this tradition. On top of that, meditation was key to focus and be able to concentrate on the class.

I have enjoyed this course.
Your great wealth of knowledge and expertise is evident from everything that you offer and show us.
You offer the correct shape of the symbols. But you also give us so many examples to deviate from that (a little) in order to make our own drawing of the symbol that suits ourselves.
Through the reflection and bonuses you give us the opportunity to continue on an inner quest.
It is not just any lesson you give: everything you say, you support it.
I thank you for your involvement, your encouragement and your enthusiasm.
May you continue to accumulate positive energy for the benefit of all beings!

This session was structured very well to understand the iconography and how to draw the full Buddha body. I really enjoyed the transformation of grid to the full body figure as we go on the course step by step.

I reall liked the way Carmen explained drawing feet and hands in this course.
I also liked the special zoom session she took to help me understand the colouring techniques.

I loved the clear directions that led to a successful and satisfying experience and end product. I found the whole experience to be contemplative and nourishing! I would like to take another course. Thank you!

The Colouring Techniques Course was so much fun, and beyond my expectations. I love the Dutch Masters, Rembrandt and Van Gogh are 2 of my personal favorites. I was happy to have some exercises with the colored pencils because I have never used them before. I have been drawing and painting throughout my life, but have never tried using colored pencils, so it was great to get to experiment before the actual course begins. You gave very helpful tips and ideas to consider, I am grateful for that. Your ability to explain the lessons clearly and show through examples was also very helpful. I only wished I had more time to devote to the exercises, but such is life! I’m really looking forward to drawing the Buddha course soon.

Dear Carmen, it was a wonderful course. I have not managed to finish all the art works, but I plan to complete them . The meditations, symbolism behind each symbol and reflection was so enriching! This course was much more than I had hoped for and look forward to many more! thank you so much for all the effort you have put in creating these courses for us!

Hi Carmen,

I had a great time taking the 8 Auspicious Symbols class. The pacing was great. Thank you for providing the online class, though I hope to take an in person class soon. 🙂

Take care,
Nancy

Thank you Carmen for providing this amazing and enriching experience of drawing the White Tara. The course was both informative and detailed. Initially was apprehensive about drawing such a figure with so many intricate details but the energy of Tara was such that I could complete the entire drawing with focus and calmness never experienced before. Loved every bit of if.

Dear Carmen..!

I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible 2-month Thangka Art course. The journey was filled with invaluable knowledge, and I feel truly fortunate to have been a part of it. Looking forward to continuing this amazing path of artistic discovery.

Thank you so much.

This course was so much more than I ever expected, Carmen. Thank you for your guidance and for sharing your energy and enthusiasm. This was a spiritual journey too, and it brought peace and quiet during a time when our world had changed so much and we all struggled to cope with the ‘new normal’.

I have no previous drawing experience. I was like in a trance once I started drawing. The most wondrous and surprising sensation is when you look at the end result and your buddha nature is smiling at you. It really feels like that. It’s a very profound healing experience.

Many thanks for bringing this to all of us!

Drawing is still new to me but under Carmen’s guidance I’ve gained confidence and enjoyment.
The class is not only a drawing class but an exciting journey into learning a great deal about Tibetan Buddhism.

This was a really great class. I was looking forward every Friday to the new module. I love colored pencil but have not worked with them for many years. It was a great opportunity to get me drawing again. I also really enjoyed all the lectures about the spiritual meaning of the symbols. So sorry I could not finish the mandala by the end of the course but I will hopefully soon get to it! Very inspiring experience! Carmen, thank you so very much! Your class brought a lot of joy!

I took a class last summer, live, in Italy, and have wanted to paint the Medicine Buddha for years. I am not comfortable with computers, but this class worked out well. Thanks. It is clear, nicely divided up into sections, so you can do as much or as little as you have time for, and come back, know where you are and continue. Recording these classes is a work of love, now they will be accessible to more people who can’t travel. Grazie Carmen. Tanti grazie.

About the Colouring Techniques Course:
Wow. Yes, Carmen, what a fabulous course. I didn’t really know what you would present. It is a very comprehensive drawing course, introducing pencil and shading and blending and color and how to use it. I love all the examples of students work. Seeing the variety and different personal styles gave me the courage and inspiration to keep going. It was also very nice, not being in a classroom with other students, being able to see other people’s work, and some other faces. I loved, loved, loved the supplementary bonus links to Rembrandt and Vermeer and Van Gogh, I spent hours in the museums drinking in your rich heritage. Thank you.

I’ve never really used colored pencil formally before and I am grateful to learn new techniques. Who knew how many values you can get with one color pencil? And with the instruction on blending I now know how others achieved the softness in their Thangkas. I didn’t know you could use Q-tips, or paint thinner to blend and extend the color. I very much like the water color effect you can get with the solvents.

If I had taken this color class first, my Medicine Buddha would have been very different. I won’t struggle so much with my next one, having learned so much in this course. I missed the comradery of the classroom, but I loved being able to pause and rewind and practice and re-listen to the different lessons.

I have been through some sort of crisis but this course was extremely useful! It helped me to ground myself.. made me feel calm and centred which was very needed indeed! The course structure was very clear and was beyond my expectations! I got so much out of it. I loved the combination of all the elements you put in. I really appreciate that you decided to have online course! I live in Australia so far away to attend these classes in person. I didn’t have any drawing experience. I only draw Buddha face once but would like to draw more Buddha face before even starting on colouring (bought the Colouring bundle). Many thanks again for all the effort you put in to create this amazing course for us!

I absolutely love all the Thangka courses I’ve been taken and this one, with the weekly assignments, was very special. It feels like, as we are learning the wisdom of the Thangka , we are also receiving guidance to walk thru our path. It seem there’s always a way to apply the learnings , in different parts of life.
The timing was perfect. Starting and finishing on a new moon. Very beautiful!
Im still gonna spend time, with my notes of the course, coloring each of them and reflecting on the teachings.
Thank you Carmen for your gentle way of teaching. It’s very loving and easy to comprehend.

See you on the next class!
Aloha🌺

Having taken other online Thangka courses from Carmen I knew that it would be a challenge this time to set aside enough quiet time to spend with White Tara.
It was a challenge and yet I found the mantra and meditation practices really helped me stay calm during an otherwise stressful time.
I love how this course, and the others I’ve taken, are a pathway back to my neglected Buddhist practice through art.
The material is so well presented I value the whole package. Carmen’s voice has a calming effect.
I plan to use paint this time to finish my White Tara.

I’m so happy to attend this class and thanks for the teacher, Carmen, who is so kind and experience. I’m not good in drawing but realised what I dream. When I draw Buddha face, I think of all Buddha’s quality, visualise Buddha, then the grid then draw it. I read sometimes the mantra of Buddha Shakya Muni. When coloring, I can see better the independent origination, all the draw, color, one by one to make his appearance. Just relax the mind, think of Buddha’s quality, continue to color. The most dificult is how to show via the drawing Budha’s compassion and wisdom. Compassion I try to make his eyes, look upon beings with loving, kindness “I show you the path, it’s your choice to follow”. Then the wisdom, I try to make via the hallow, blue circle by making the following one zen tradition of painting circle, just draw circle, visualise of his wisdom raise. And Buddha has the 3 kayas, then the Nirmakaya, his appearance, Sambogakaya, his smile and the light, Dharmakaya in his wisdom appeare.
That is my way to complete the Buddha’s face.
Thank you for Carmen to guide me and explain clearly.
I dedicate for Carmen’s work to help more people can draw their dream, for all sentient beings be happy and free of suffering.

This course was a Devine gift for me. I couldn’t believe that I am capable of drawing Buddha face by myself. Especially in Tibetan Thangka Tradition. I have zero of experience and didn’t draw since school. In the end I have a beautiful Buddha Face in front of me and I’m a little bit sad it’s over. But I am planning on doing another bigger one! I am staying at school to develop my skills on coloring techniques. I am so grateful for this opportunity to discover my new creative side.

I just want to say that the course exceeded my expectations. I especially learned and enjoyed the teachings on shading and blending, as well as the bonus information on artists. It was good to make the connection with the old Dutch Masters because I felt more of an appreciation for them after this. This will definitely help me with upcoming Medicine Buddha class and I only wish I had taken this course prior to the Buddha Face class. Many thanks and deep bow to you.

Thank you very much dear Carmen, for guide us, for great moments while studying and drawing, for meditations and support inner learning.
Om Mani Padme Hung

It has been an amazing journey with this course. What a great way to focus my mind on the joy of thangka drawing during the time of pandemic. Carmen guides us through a step-by-step process to compose each drawing. This is my third online course with Carmen. I highly recommend her online thangka courses.

I loved taking this course so much! I particularly enjoyed the explanation of the history of Thang Ka paintings and buddhist philosophy. Carmen, thank you for your detailed and easy to understand explanations. This has been an incredible experience.

Carmen has put together a wonderful online art course. She includes so many interesting teachings, details, videos and information about each of the Auspicious symbols that it is a great introduction to dharma, as well as a deepening for those who have studied previously. As a beginner art student I find this method very accessible and inspiring! Thank you Carmen for another fabulous course!

I had no drawing experience, so I started the class with an open mind. I must say the 10-day schedule was quite challenging due to my work schedule and I could not spend much time during the first weekend due to prior commitments. So, I spent the second weekend working around the clock to finish the course. What I like about the course is: 1) the instruction of how to draw a Buddha head is lay out as a step by step process. The instructions are clearly explained with the support of visual representations; 2) Carmen is supportive and answering questions and comments in a timely manner. I struggled for drawing eyes even after watching videos multiple times and practicing them multiple times. I enjoyed the different elements of the course (e.g., the history, the meditation, the actual drawing, the dedication prayer, etc.). This course has been transformative for me. I had this belief that I could not draw prior taking this course. It feels very freeing to be able to draw a Buddha head. And I absolutely love the Buddha I drew.

I started drawing Vasudhara, Buddhist bodhisattva of wealth, prosperity, and abundance in November 2019 during a retreat at the Maitreya Institute in Loenen, the Netherlands. In February 2020 I did the Retreat at the Paramita Meditation Center in Sri Lanka and a 4 days round tour trip. The Paramita Meditation Center is the perfect place for meditation and Thangka Painting, a very quiet place with a beautiful garden and wonderful people. I started coloring my Vasudhara during this retreat. Carmen had made a perfect schedule with meditations, enough time to draw/ color and lectures. Her knowledge and devotion is outstanding. She is having a lot of patience and a teacher with a deep devotion of the topic. She provided me a lot of help to make a very nice drawing. I am very proud and happy that I decided to do this retreat. Next to it, the round tour trip was perfectly organised and Sri Lanka is such a beautiful country. If you love Buddhism and Buddhas that is the play to go. It was a wonderful time and perfect retreat. Thank you so much Carmen, I am a blessed person.

Hi Carmen,
Attached is my Medicine Buddha with the beginnings of color. I love how you say how the Buddhas emerge from the paper, that is really how it feels for me. I’m still getting used to colored pencils but will continue, it is enjoyable and very different from my other illustration.

I really enjoyed speaking with you on our Zoom meeting Sunday and was very cheered and inspired by our conversation. It feels great to have started on this path of learning about thangka, many thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experience!

This is my third online course from Carmen Mensink. I really enjoy taking these classes and learning about the history behind the iconometry. It’s so much more than just a drawing course.

Loved the course. As a lover of eastern esoteric spirituality, Buddhist art has great symbology and of course the 8 auspicious symbols epitomise this. Learning to draw Tibetan artwork is rewarding and somewhat fulfilling. Carmen’s classes are a wonderful route to this learning with a strong foundation in spiritual perspective.

This was a wonderful course and surpassed my expectations! I really look forward to doing more work with Carmen. I was concerned about how well an online course would work, but all my fears were put to rest. Carmen gave great feedback and has developed a great way to present her information. Thank you so much!

I loved this course. I approached it with a degree of skepticism thinking colouring pencils could only ever achieve a matte and flat finish but the shine achievable using Carmen’s techniques even for a beginner like me is amazing. Carmen has kept up her usual very high standard with this course. I loved the extra bits like learning from the Dutch Masters and all the links to documentaries on colour. The most important thing for me though was that in this course I gained confidence in colouring my Buddhist drawings which I never had before thanks to the way Carmen gently and methodically guides from the simple to more complex Buddhist symbols in her very quiet relaxed approach. I was colouring in confidently before I realised it. Thank you very much Carmen. I hope to do many more courses with you.

My expectations for the course were exceeded! I hoped to experience the meditative aspect of drawing sacred art, which I certainly did. I didn’t expect to learn so much about the history and use of thangkas, which I loved, and definitely didn’t expect to be so happy with my drawing, which I am!

I liked the course and the meditation before starting the course.

I really enjoyed this class. It was fun to draw and color the 8 auspicious symbols but it was so inspiring to learn about Tibetan Buddhism and to listen to the dharma talks. Thank you, Carmen!

My expectations were more than met by this course. I especially loved the spiritual practices, which were so meaningfully integrated. The combination of all the elements was helpful and enjoyable. My coloring technique is at present in need of more practice – makes me want to try my hand at another course!
Thank you so much for doing this!

Truly loved doing it, it was very relaxing to do and I enjoyed the background information.
I hope to use it more often while the response of my loved ones said enough – they loved the outcomes as well.
The extra Colouring Course with background of the Dutch masters felt as a true ‘gift to myself’.

This was my first Thangka drawing with Carmen and a first hand experience of drawing Buddha face using Iconography and grid technique. The meditations and mantras taught in the course made me very relaxed and helped me enjoy learning the art technique. It was overall a great experience.

I was so happy to find this course and this teacher especially at this moment. This is something I’ve wanted to study for most of my life. To have the opportunity to do this with such an excellent teacher, in a way that I could afford, and not have to travel made it all possible. I am currently unemployed and so the finances are difficult but this was a reasonable cost, so I am grateful.
I loved learning the history and the context and the symbolism, and how to meditate with the thangka. I loved seeing other’s creations.

I loved how organized the class was and how I was helped, step by step, in purchasing the necessary supplies and drawing the image. I have no drawing experience but with a little patience I was able to do much better than I thought possible. I also appreciate the background in Buddhism and meditation that Carmen supplied. I highly recommend this class to anyone who might be interested.

I did two online courses before and now went for eight days to the retreat at the Maitreya’ Institute with Carmen. What a well organized retreat, with meditations in the Gompa, Tight scheduled drawing and eating times great walks in the surroundings surrounded by friendly people and drawing coloring and painting instructions and lectures about Buddhism and Thangka by Carmen. Her warmth and enthusiasm are creating an atmosphere in which it is great to concentrate to practice whole day Shamatha, and to focus on thangka drawing, whilst the retreat planning keeps you on target. I would advise this retreat to anybody wanting to combine Thangka drawing, meditative action and retreat.

Each week I was looking forward to Friday, to be able to start the new lesson again. First delve into the texts and then work out the drawing, great.
Didn’t expect that I would like it that much online, but I did, especially with all the extras.
It was super, thank you.

I drew the symbols separately (and one extra!) and put them in the ‘mandala’ order in the picture. I have learned a lot about these symbols and coloring techniques. And I am now sufficiently prepared to start drawing the mandala with the 8 auspicious symbols. It was a mindful period. Thank you so much for this course, the explanations, the meditations, your inspiration and not to forget Tara’s 😸 inspiration. I really enjoyed it 🙏

Yes i loved the workshop. It is very well organized and i like the interaction with the teacher (Carmen). My experience in drawing is little but i enjoyed it. It’s been a long time since i wanted to find a THANGKA workshop so i’m grateful!!!

Carmen, I am so grateful for this wonderful online experience you have created. I love the Buddhist meditations and information that deepens my commitment and understanding.
For me the combination of my love of art and Buddhist practice coming together in one class is so precious!!
Much appreciation for your generosity in sharing your passions so clearly with deep respect for the tradition.
Namaste,
Valeria

This experience woke me up to the possibility of creativity and meditation in my life. Carmen, your teaching style, the supports and bonus options enriched my life deeply.

Deep bow to you,
Ellen Green

I enjoyed the modules over 10 weeks. I was able to complete more work over an extended period of time. Each week I looked forward to the next module. The weekly assignments helped to stay connected with the other students and Carmen. I would love to do a similar course in the future.

Had fun drawing and coloring the Buddha Face!

Doing this mini-retreat affected my meditation the following day. I was surprised in that I saw myself as a light body, if that makes sense. When I sat, I experienced some flashing of light and it was as if some transference happened. The story is a little longer than that but this is the gist. Since that time, my reactionary impulses have reduced and I take things much less personally. Quite amazing.

Everything was presented in a way that was clear and easy to understand. Thangka is something I had an interest in pursuing a few years ago but I ended up taking western art classes as that was much more accessible to me. I am very happy for this opportunity and I can see myself doing more.

I was a little stressed out about the time frame to complete it but I am glad for the deadline. If I didn’t have it, I would have procrastinated.

I’m looking forward to doing another Buddha face (this time with room for halo and robes) and colouring it properly, as this one seems to have been mostly an experiment. (I’m still not sure if I should do more in the background or just keep it simple…)

I have been attending Carmen’s workshops for over seven years now, and I have not finished learning yet. The more you delve into this matter, the more fascinating it becomes. Drawing Thangka is a special and wonderful hobby, and Carmen is a fantastic teacher; passionate, but also very clear in her explanation and inspiring in terms of guidance. Recommended!!!!!!

I loved the depth of this course: intention meditation, mantras, learning about the history of Thangka and Tibetan medicine, the meaning of symbolism, dedication meditation… I didn’t just learn how to draw the Medicine Buddha, but have gained a rich spiritual practice. Your course was amazing, far exceeding my expectations!

Thank you Carmen – your Buddha Face Course was so informative, easy to follow, a joy to do! I loved that in the Colouring Techniques Course you made a connection with the Dutch Masters – this was an unexpected surprise! I will continue to look at paintings of Old Masters to get inspired as I practice these colouring/shading techniques. I finished my Buddha Face before I learned about blending so look forward to drawing a Buddha face in blended colours. Thanks again for creating this wonderful course.

I loved doing this course. I knew it would be great again!
I knew more or less what to expect and the course was again very well structured.

I very much appreciated the mantra and the singing, it took me into another state of mind, so it was easier for me to focus.

Hi Carmen.
I’m still working on finishing of my Buddha face but wanted to send to you ,so you can see where I am at.
I haven’t worked with color pencil in a while. 🙂 I’ve been having fun tho!
Here is what I got so far:

I am Doing the background in acrylics.

I want to bring up that it has been a very meditative work and a lots of thought keep coming in to my mind. I have been notice how it interfere on my painting. Even when I have thought that are not so pleasant, I notice I get more sloppy. And I have practice coming back to my relaxed enjoyable state of mind.
Also looking at Buddha face have been feeling like Buddha is looking at me, and I apologize at times for thinking or judging people or Situations. Like asking for forgiveness. And then I remember that You said that is a reflection of ourselves, so I change it to apologize to myself and forgive myself for those human feelings.

It’s been a very great process.

To connect to my art , creativity, myself and the Divinity of all of it.

Also my cat have been jumping on my Thangka drawing and I get a little nervous so it’s also another exercise, i remember that you teach about the animals. So I replace my nervous acting with put him on my lap and start to pet him.

Practice, practice, practice 🙂
I really appreciate learning with you.

And I am very grateful!

Thank you so much for your patience.

Much love
Aloha🌺
Camila

After studying with Carmen in person on several occasions, I had little idea of what she was going to be able to do to offer her wonderful courses in Tibetan sacred art. This course on White Tara was so well designed and presented that it was almost like being with Carmen in person. As good as it gets in this year of pandemic.

I had a lot of pleasure to follow this classe online.
Thank you Carmen to teach us remotely, your teachings are top quality.
I would love to follow a painting class online if we can still not travel.