Home > Courses > Four-day Thangka Art Course, Venice, Italy, 6-9 Nov, 2025
Translations in Italian or another language
This course is offered in clear English, but if you need translation in Italian (or another language) we are happy to provide them for you. Please let us know in the registration form.
6-9 November 2025 Milarepa Milarepa by Robert Beer
Tibetan Yogi, Mystic and Poet
Thangka Drawing Course
Venice | Italy
During this weekend workshop in Venice with renowned thangka painter Carmen Mensink from The Netherlands, you will learn to draw (and perhaps later paint) this inspiring yogi according to the tradition of thangka (Tibetan scroll paintings).
This special art course is held in a special place: a traditional Venetian Palazzo on one of the canals (with amazing views!) in the heart of Venice. Creating art in the city where you are surrounded by art is such a great combination. In addition to the thangka course you can explore the city on foot, take the vaporetto (water bus) to visit the other islands such as Murano (famous for its glasswork), Burano (famous for its lace and the colorful houses), or one of the many museums.
A True Inspiration
Milarepa (1052-1135), was a tantric yogi and mystic. He is known for his remarkable determination and personal growth, and his inspiring story describes the familiar human progression from confusion to clarity.
Milarepa is often illustrated as an ascetic in a meditation cave, with his right hand behind his ear. This ‘listening’ posture symbolizes his way of teaching the dharma through songs and poems.
Transformation
Milarepa’s early life was characterized by extreme suffering, which was reflected in the terrible negative actions he performed at a young age.
When he realized what he had done, Milarepa saw the light and -tormented by guilt and remorse- set out in search of insight and a teacher, which he found in the famous Marpa. Marpa relentlessly subjected him to one severe test after another, and taught him how to use his fierce and tenacious nature to transform his mind.
As a great tantric yogi, Milarepa achieved many spiritual experiences and eventually full enlightenment. His songs and poems on realization became famous.
In addition to the drawing sessions, you will learn everything about Milarepa’s life, his iconography and meaning through the lectures. You will also learn his mantra and how to work with it.
For whom?
This course is suitable for both beginners (yes, even if you have no drawing experience) and advanced students. Carmen guides everyone at their own level and takes them to a higher one.
Is this is your first thangka course with Carmen?
Then you will traditionally first learn to draw the Face of the Buddha before you start on Milarepa. This can be done during the course, but if you want to immediately start with Milarepa in Venice (so you can make the most out of it) you can also do it beforehand Online at the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art
Drawing a 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.”
For pics of a previous thangka course in Venice click here
More Info
For more information, cost and venue please click on the following tabs:
Price: €258 including drinks and snacks after the lecture on Thu evening, and coffee/tea/biscuits/fruit during the rest of the course. You will make a downpayment of €108 upon registration. The remaining course fee can be paid in cash on location to Giovanna, who co-organizes this course. Optional: Dinner Party 
Thu Nov 6 through Sun Nov 9, 2025:
Thursday evening: 19.30 – 21.30 Introduction + Lecture about the subject, ending with drinks and snacks
Friday: 10.00 – 18.00 (incl. 1hr lunch break)
Saturday: 10.00 – 18.00 (incl. 1hr lunch break) with (optional) our fabulous annual Dinner Party
Sunday: 10.00 – 17.00 (incl. 1hr lunch break)
Traditionally on Saturday evening we will have a wonderful dinner party, this can be booked on the spot for €20 including dinner and all drinks.
Note about Reservation / Registration
After filling in the reservation form, we will check if there’s still space and will send you an email, requesting to make the downpayment of €108. Only after making this downpayment your registration is complete and your space secured.
(Didn’t receive an email after 24hrs? Please check your spam-folder)
Thick drawing paper size 50x65cm
This is close to Piazzale Roma where the main train station of Venice S. Lucia is and all the busses arrive.
Palazzo Minotto /
Fondamenta Minotto n. 143 (Sestiere di Santa Croce)
Ring the bell ‘Pianizzola’ (and walk to the 2nd floor)
Venice,
Italy
– Check for ex. Booking.com or AirBnB.com for a hotel room or apartment.
– If you prefer to share a room or apartment with one of the other students you can let us know via the message box in the reservation form so we can bring you in contact with others that wish the same.
You can also check out the following hotels that are all near to where the thangka course takes place, and that we can recommend as the prices are not too high (for Venice standards). The people that run the B&B’s are friends of Giovanna Carraro (who co-organizes this course) and you may get a discount when you tell that you come for the thangka course that she organizes.
Salizada S.Pantalon n.84, Venezia
Phone: +39 041 5256057
Email: albergocasaperon(at)gmail.com
Albergo Marin
Phone: +39 041 718022 / email: info(at)albergomarin.it
Website: www.albergomarin.it
Hotel S.Geremia Alloggi Gerotto Calderan
Campo S.Geremia n.290, Venezia (close to train station and bus station)
Email: info(at)283.it
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Reservation
The course fee is €258, incl. coffee/tea/biscuits/fruit. After filling in this reservation form, we will check if there’s still space (this course tends to fill up quickly) and will send you an email, requesting to make the downpayment of €108. Only after making this downpayment your registration is complete and your space secured (PS If you didn’t receive an email after 24hrs please check your spam-folder or contact us)