Welcome to the White Tara Inspiration Gallery! Here displayed are the artworks that were created during the online White Tara Thangka Art Course Edition Sept/Oct, 2020 at the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art (check out the next edition!)
These female Buddhas of Longevity are made by people from all over the world, and both with and without any drawing experience. Not only express these images the enlightened Buddha mind, they also convey the beauty, love and dedication of the maker. 🙏🏼
Isn’t each and every one of them amazing?
Sherry
Contemplating White Tara’s qualities and feeling her blessings!
I loved immersing myself in contemplating White Tara’s qualities and feeling her blessings! For me, it was a challenge – my current eye for symmetry an...
Contemplating White Tara’s qualities and feeling her blessings!
I loved immersing myself in contemplating White Tara’s qualities and feeling her blessings! For me, it was a challenge – my current eye for symmetry and spatial relationships isn’t well developed but I felt quite motivated to keep trying! Carmen is a font of information and an excellent teacher.
Sherry
Marja
What a pity the course has ended…
What a pity the course has ended… It has become a part of my daily life. Often during the day I heard Carmen chant the mantra of Tara in my ears, invit...
What a pity the course has ended…
What a pity the course has ended… It has become a part of my daily life. Often during the day I heard Carmen chant the mantra of Tara in my ears, inviting me to join. It helped me through stressy moments, or to fall in sleep.
I enjoyed the drawing very much. Luckily I can go on with coloring my Tara drawing.
Marja
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...
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 much more than just a drawing course.
Teresa McDowell
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
Peggy Sue McRae
The material is so well presented
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...
The material is so well presented
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.
Peggy Sue McRae
Mara
I felt guided by the powerful energy of Tara
I feel very grateful for this experience.
This time I was more confident with the pencil especially when I erased the grit and went over the drawing a...
I felt guided by the powerful energy of Tara
I feel very grateful for this experience.
This time I was more confident with the pencil especially when I erased the grit and went over the drawing again. I felt guided by the powerful energy of Tara, graceful but assertive and with more clarity in what I was doing. I will start soon coloring the Tara and I feel very excited to learn more about coloring techniques.
Thank you Carmen for the amazing opportunity of taking the course on line. So well done in every aspect. And I love to dive into Buddhist philosophy and learn more of this art.
Mara
Anne Crosbie
I am amazed at what I have been able to achieve with Carmen’s help
White Tara and the Colouring Technique course combo was my second and third course with Carmen but they definitely won’t be my last. As a hopeless pain...
I am amazed at what I have been able to achieve with Carmen’s help
White Tara and the Colouring Technique course combo was my second and third course with Carmen but they definitely won’t be my last. As a hopeless painter I am amazed at what I have been able to achieve with Carmen’s help and only using coloured pencils. Thank you Carmen.
Anne Crosbie
Joyce Isabelle
I learned a lot
This course was beyond my expectations. I learned a lot. I like the eastern and western perspectives. I look at color differently now. Techniques lear...
I learned a lot
This course was beyond my expectations. I learned a lot. I like the eastern and western perspectives. I look at color differently now. Techniques learned here will filter in all off my work.
Joyce Isabelle
Ànna
Will color the whole thangka
I can not yet make up my mind on how I should color the whole thangka. Of course with the right colors.
Will color the whole thangka
I can not yet make up my mind on how I should color the whole thangka. Of course with the right colors.
Ànna
Mara D’Ambrosi
Carmen encourages us to take our time and refine our skills
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...
Carmen encourages us to take our time and refine our skills
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
Mara D’Ambrosi
Courtney
Fear of starting is my enemy. Once started, it flows sometimes.
This was a bit of a leap for me in terms of drawing. So many details! Fear of starting is my enemy. Once started, it flows sometimes. I’ve found 20-25 ...
Fear of starting is my enemy. Once started, it flows sometimes.
This was a bit of a leap for me in terms of drawing. So many details! Fear of starting is my enemy. Once started, it flows sometimes. I’ve found 20-25 minutes on, then a 5-10 minute break before restarting to work best. Otherwise I get too focused in the details.
Speaking of her face – that was an entire day in itself! I wanted her to be look beautiful, not looking like a male buddha. The challenge was the angle – yes there was an angled grid, but 50x65cm is a large canvas so I didn’t rotate. Ex: her smile had to be higher on the right side than the left, given the angle, etc. The many many details was the leap for me – if I was able to do the coloring class maybe I would have fared better? I now understand I need to PRACTICE!
I LOVED the short mantra song you provided. Struggled with memorizing the longer chant (part brain, part foreign-ness), but the shorter one I could bring with me during the day. Singing hits a different part of brain than speaking – brings a felt sense of heart. I just turned 45 on the 30th and I think White Tara was ok w/ me spending the evening getting rid of my grays – in attempt to be a fraction as beautiful as she is. Now that I got the hang of these details, I’ll less afraid to move forward and finishing her.
OH, and I’ve been meaning to share… 🙂 Drawing the lotus petals from her cushion? I always get the sense I’m drawing a bunch of baby’s butts!
Drawing experience – might as well be ‘nil. Some residual drawing showed up from high school, but I haven’t drawn since. Vs the one student who cranks out a full-color thangka in 2 weeks or less. If I’m honest however, my fear of starting the scary new stuff is my ultimate hindrance.
Courtney
Peter Prommel
So well listed and clearly explained
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
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!!!