Join a course in the US
Overview of upcoming thangka classes, workshops and retreats in America. Sign up for the Newsletter to stay posted on all future courses.
Testimonials and Artworks
by the students of Carmen Mensink
An overview of the drawings and paintings created by Carmen’s students during the classes, courses and retreats in the US
Courses are offered each year on the East Coast, in NYC and Upstate NY (often June/July). During her stay in NYC, Carmen can also offer private thangka teachings. Sign up for the Newsletter to stay posted on all classes, lectures and events in the US.
“From word one Carmen brings her skills as an artist to the heart of her teaching. I felt her generosity and compassion with me, a very beginner art student.
Her instructions are clear and concise. I know the tools to use to draw the Buddha at home. I know the beauty and sacredness of the symbols I see.
I am taking home with me an image I created on paper and an experience of the sacred. Carmen is an inspiration to me and I will seek opportunities to study with her again. What a joy to share this experience with a fantastic group of classmates!”
Diane N., Pennsylvania, USA
Retreat Week at Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY
“My experience in the classes at the RMA and Tibet House with Carmen Mensink was very special. Along with great skill in Tibetan Tangkha painting her knowledge of the integration of the symbols and Philosophy was shared in a precise and lucid manner. I have always been interested in Tibetan Art and Carmen’s explanations expanded my connection to it and brought it to life in a very real way.
Carmen created an atmosphere of ease with the absence of pressure that made learning new techniques really joyful and satisfying. As a person, Carmen expresses her support and encouragement with the great generosity and spirit of a true teacher. I was inspired to continue practicing with the new methods I learned and to continue working on a Mandala that has remained unfinished for some time now. I am really looking forward to her next visit to New York.”
Al Gorgoni, New York City, USA, Thangka art classes at Rubin Museum of Art & Tibet House, NYC
“Having been stuck in my own art practice for a number of years, Carmen’s class helped me not only break through that stuckness, but also integrate new, old & unfolding learnings. It is a beautiful amalgamation of mindfulness, art, meditation. We learned, applied & had opportunity to try new techniques & ask plenty of questions. I look forward to taking class again with Carmen next year.“
Lisa Evert, Ohio
Thangka Retreat Week at Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY
“We had a really fun five days, Carmen was really a dedicated teacher, it was amazing how we all didn’t really know what we were doing at first, but got guided through the process and we all ended up making nice stuff IMO. …We did a cool meditation every morning that was tied into the specific buddha that we were all drawing/painting. Carmen’s great – sincere, supportive, humble & enthusiastic.”
Vlad Lewis, Massachusetts, USA
Retreat Week at Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY
Joyce Isabelle
I didn’t think I could draw a full Buddha. It was a great experience
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 s...
I didn’t think I could draw a full Buddha. It was a great experience
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!
Joyce Isabelle
Ellen Green, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Rich and meaningful experience
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 instr...
Teresa McDowell
It’s so much more than just a drawing course
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 m...
Anjana
Packed with wisdom, insights and lots of learning
Dear Carmen,
Thank you so much for putting together this lovely course and for this wonderful, serene space online. It was a very exciting and happy j...
Packed with wisdom, insights and lots of learning
Dear Carmen,
Thank you so much for putting together this lovely course and for this wonderful, serene space online. It was a very exciting and happy journey for me, these 10 weeks, packed as it was with wisdom, insights and lots of learning, with a dash of humor. Eagerly anticipating your next course. Stay Safe, Stay blessed.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
Anjana
Sarah Novotney
Such an enriching, educational, meaningful, and powerful course
Wow. I am totally blown away. I’ve been wanting to meet Medicine Buddha for a while now. I never imagined it would be this way. Only a couple months a...
Such an enriching, educational, meaningful, and powerful course
Wow. I am totally blown away. I’ve been wanting to meet Medicine Buddha for a while now. I never imagined it would be this way. Only a couple months ago I started following “Medicine Buddha” tag on instagram and your classes popped up. So I signed up and started with the Buddha face and proceeded with the Medicine Buddha course.
This was better than I ever could have planned myself, at a time that couldn’t have been more perfect for me physically, mentally and karmically. Your quote sums it all up, “We practice medicine to alleviate suffering and prolong the human life, to improve the opportunity to attain enlightenment”. And I could quite literally see this working…in my meditations, as I focus on my breath, I usually am aware of a background of nonsense thoughts constantly coming and going. After practicing and reciting Medicine Buddha mantra for this month, I noticed in my meditations that background noice while concentrating on breath was a background hum of the mantra. It was almost as if my subconscious was getting cleansed from random thought to the mantra. I thought that was quite amazing….
I am a practitioner of the healing arts, but I really haven’t done “physical art” since high school…a bit of drawing or ceramics here and there. I was completely amazed by the end result of Medicine Buddha. I think I found a new feel-good, meditative hobby! I want to keep this going. Thank you so much for such an enriching, educational, meaningful, powerful course. I am very grateful for you as a teacher, for Medicine Buddha as a guide in my life and for Zoom for making this accessible to me in Montana, USA!
Sarah Novotney
Emelia
Almost like being with Carmen in person
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 ...
Almost like being with Carmen in person
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.
Emelia
Wendy Insinger, New York, USA
I really thought it would be impossible for me to draw at all
This course was amazing! I really thought it would be impossible for me to draw at all. Carmen’s videos are incredible, as it all the detail, informati...
Theresa G
My ninth year working with Carmen
I finally finished my White Tara!
This is my ninth year working with Carmen and it is always an amazing experience. Doing this course helped me to fin...
Moira McCaul
Like taking a class with you in person!
I wanted to learn about the symbolism and iconography behind the Medicine Buddha and of course the proper proportions. I think it was very apt to have...
Like taking a class with you in person!
I wanted to learn about the symbolism and iconography behind the Medicine Buddha and of course the proper proportions. I think it was very apt to have a course on him at this time considering the global pandemic. The class was perfect! It met all my expectations.
I really enjoyed how it was broken up into different modules. It was almost like taking a class with you in person! Your calm demeanor and positive energy even came through in the videos!
Moira McCaul
Melissa
I knew this course would be awesome, however you far exceeded that expectation
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 expectat...
I knew this course would be awesome, however you far exceeded that expectation
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…
Melissa
Theresa Gaimaro
Thank you for the inspiration!
“Always enjoy my time with you when you are in NY!! I am going to replace my desk with a drafting table, so I can continue with my work. Thank you for ...
Thank you for the inspiration!
“Always enjoy my time with you when you are in NY!! I am going to replace my desk with a drafting table, so I can continue with my work. Thank you for the inspiration! I look forward to seeing you next year and each year after whether it’s in NY or another country.”
Theresa Gaimaro
Teresa McDowell
The best way to spend “me” time
I really look forward to these classes. I found that it is the best way to spend “me” time. I enjoyed how the course was set up with students gaining ac...
The best way to spend “me” time
I really look forward to these classes. I found that it is the best way to spend “me” time. I enjoyed how the course was set up with students gaining access to 1 module per week. This way we didn’t feel too overwhelmed by all the work there is to be done. It is always such a pleasure to take a thangka class with Carmen.
Teresa McDowell
Grace B. Yap-Kirk
Feels great upon completion
Immense gratitude to Carmen for the course, which gave structure to my process of thangka drawing. The lectures provided meaning, symbolism and Buddhi...
Feels great upon completion
Immense gratitude to Carmen for the course, which gave structure to my process of thangka drawing. The lectures provided meaning, symbolism and Buddhist philosophy concepts besides drawing with contemplation. Feels great upon completion.
(digital artwork drawn and coloured using Procreate; halos and backdrop are digitally altered images using copyright-free pictures)
Grace B. Yap-Kirk
Laura Sloan
Interesting and informative trainings and lectures for our educators
“I am thankful to have been working with Carmen since I started at the Rubin Museum in 2011. We are happy to welcome her each year when she travels to ...
Interesting and informative trainings and lectures for our educators
“I am thankful to have been working with Carmen since I started at the Rubin Museum in 2011. We are happy to welcome her each year when she travels to New York. She has led interesting and informative trainings and lectures for our educators, as well as thangka painting classes, and demonstrations for our annual Block Party.
One of our favorite sessions was her training on Mandalas, which provided clarity to a very complicated subject. She patiently explored the artwork and symbolism in an engaging and accessible manner. It is interesting to learn about the art and materials from her perspective as an artist and thangka painter.
In my role of scheduling, and overseeing trainings for our educators, working with her has been delightful. She has been flexible and adaptable with a variety of subjects and adjusted her trainings accordingly.
She is deeply connected to her work and her passion is evident in the quality and vibrancy of her lectures.
We hope to schedule another session next time she is in New York, and we would love to have her back for another talk at the Rubin Museum.”
Laura Sloan
Barry
Perfect fusion of art instruction with the culture and Dharma that inspires the art
World-class Thangka artist/teacher, either for online courses or for in-person retreats. She offers a perfect fusion of art instruction with the cultu...
Perfect fusion of art instruction with the culture and Dharma that inspires the art
World-class Thangka artist/teacher, either for online courses or for in-person retreats. She offers a perfect fusion of art instruction with the culture and Dharma that inspires the art. Her inspirational instruction helped me create a 4’X4′ Eight Auspicious Symbols banner for our home.
Barry
Amy Bryan
So much more than ‘just’ an art class
“I had the extreme pleasure of taking three classes with Carmen Mensink this spring in NYC. I am the veteran of many fine art classes over the years, b...
So much more than ‘just’ an art class
“I had the extreme pleasure of taking three classes with Carmen Mensink this spring in NYC. I am the veteran of many fine art classes over the years, but this is the first time that I have felt compelled to write a testimonial about one. From the minute I met her, I knew Carmen was a woman from whom I could learn something truly special and different, which is not something I say lightly. I am not easily impressed. 🙂 After taking her amulet making class, I was sufficiently curious to see what else she had on offer, and after just one lecture, I could tell that my ability to learn from her was virtually unlimited.
Carmen’s classes are so much more than “just” an art class. Her knowledge, love and reverence for the highly-symbolic, traditional Tibetan devotional art called thangka is apparent in everything she does. Along with high-level, professional instruction in traditional drawing, painting and crafting methods, students learn about the history and cultural background of the deity they are depicting, including the mantras, prayers and attributes attributed to these religious figures. Rather than creating these images in a vacuum, our work is grounded in an understanding of their significance within Tibetan Buddhism. Carmen creates a spiritual space to work in that can only be described as magical. The meditative nature of art is a focus, as is the thought that creation be rooted in intention. The art produced in such an environment feels sacred.
The amount of effort, preparation, skill and planning involved in this approach to instruction is apparent, and it’s clear that teaching is an avocation for Carmen. It is done thoughtfully, with spirit, purpose and a sincerity that stands out.
No matter the level of skill and experience a student has, everyone is made to feel welcome and special, and is treated with complete respect. At the same time, Carmen is warm, friendly, unpretentious (despite having real bona fides as a recognized expert in her field) and intelligent, and has a sense of humor, so the class is relaxed and fun. Carmen has many students who have studied with her for years, and some have artwork that they only work on while she is visiting the city. It’s a testament to the value of Carmen’s presence and technical expertise that she has such a strong following.”
Amy Bryan
Teresa McDowell
In depth course like I would receive if I were there in person
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...
In depth course like I would receive if I were there in person
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.
Teresa McDowell
Bill, USA
Had fun!
Had fun drawing and coloring the Buddha Face!
Delia
I have no prior drawing experience
I have no prior drawing experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and I look forward to seeing you at Omega later this month. Thank you!
Join a course Online
Online thangka courses are offered through the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art, where you can learn how to draw or paint a Tibetan Buddha, Mandala, or Symbol from your home, while personally being guided by Carmen.
Most classes are for students on all levels – yes, also those without any drawing experience whatsoever.
Can’t wait to start your thangka journey? Join the Buddha Face Thangka Art Course today!
Types of Classes
Overview of the different kinds of Buddhist Art Courses that are offered in the USA:
In these short workshops you will get a glimpse of Tibetan Buddhist Art, and create a (small) drawing or Tibetan Amulet.
In a day workshop you can learn to draw a Buddha face, lotus flower or other Tibetan Buddhist symbols and color it by using the color pencil techniques, that will be explained as well.
The thangka day workshops offers you a good introduction in Tibetan Art.
In a weekend course (starting Fri evening) we will start to draw a Buddha, Mandala or Symbols, but -depending on how fast you are- you might have to finish your artwork at home.
In an extended weekend course (starting Thu evening) we can dive even deeper into the subject and you will most probably be able to finish your drawing.
Besides the drawing sessions, you will be guided through (short) meditations, slideshows and lectures about the meaning, symbolism and mantra of the particular subject, offering you a complete picture of the Buddhist philosophy that is connected to your Buddha or Mandala.
Coloring or painting your drawing can be done at home or during a thangka painting retreat.
The longer courses, such as the annual Retreat Week at Omega Institute (Rhinebeck, NY), are suitable for both drawing & painting.
For Thangka Painting Retreats that last 7 to 10 days and offer even more depth and practice, you can join the annual painting retreats in Italy or Sri Lanka.
A retreat gives you a true in-depth experience of the Tibetan Thangka art & philosophy, as there’s time to learn to work with the special thangka painting techniques and/or color pencil techniques.
Besides the drawing sessions, you will be guided through (short) meditations, slideshows and lectures about the meaning, symbolism and mantra of the particular subject, offering you a complete picture of the Buddhist philosophy that is connected to your Buddha or Mandala.
In the days before or after a course in the US, Carmen can be hired to offer individual thangka teachings.
For people who want to treat themselves to the luxury of a private course, for one person or with a few friends.
Pictures of Thangka Classes
After a thangka course, Carmen posts pictures of it on her FaceBook Page. You can also check her Instagram page for pictures.
Pics Tibetan Art Retreat in USA
Sign up for the Newsletter and stay updated on all upcoming Tibetan art classes, lectures and events in the US
