From Canada to Her First Tanjore Painting: Meghal’s DIY Lakshmi Journey
Written by
Swathi Katta
Learning a traditional Indian art form when you live outside India can come with its own set of challenges. Where do you get the right materials? How do you learn a technique that is traditionally taught in person? And what happens when you have a question while working on your painting?
For Meghal, who lives in Canada, these questions could easily have made learning Tanjore painting seem complicated.
Instead, she found a way to learn from home through Tanjore Collective’s DIY Lakshmi Tanjore painting course—and ended up creating her first Tanjore painting.
“I did an online course on Tanjore painting for making a Lakshmi painting through Tanjore Collectives.”
Her journey is a good example of how learning Tanjore painting online can make the traditional art form accessible, even when you are thousands of kilometres away from the teacher.
Learning Tanjore Painting from Canada
Meghal wasn't learning Tanjore painting in a studio in India.
She was learning from Canada.
That meant the experience had to work across distance—not just when it came to the lessons, but also when it came to getting the materials required to make the painting.
As part of her DIY course, the materials were prepared in India and shipped to her in Canada.
“I got the materials needed for the course mailed to me to Canada from India along with an online access to video lessons for the same.”
For a beginner, having the materials arrive as part of the learning experience can remove one of the first hurdles: figuring out what to buy and whether you have everything you need before you even begin.
Instead, Meghal could focus on what she had actually signed up to do—learn how to make a Tanjore painting.
Her First Tanjore Painting Was a Lakshmi
Meghal chose to learn through the DIY Lakshmi Tanjore painting course.
Unlike a live class, where students need to be present at a particular time, the DIY course allowed her to learn at a pace that worked for her.
The course gives students 75 days of access to professionally recorded lessons, which can be watched from a desktop or mobile device.
For Meghal, the video lessons became her guide through the process.
And it wasn't simply a matter of watching someone make a painting from beginning to end.
She could work through the different stages herself, following the instructions as she progressed.
She describes the structure of the lessons as:
“well structured, explaining each step systematically.”
That systematic approach was particularly useful for a first-time Tanjore painting student.
There are many stages involved in creating a Tanjore painting, and each one builds on the previous step. Being able to follow the process one stage at a time helped Meghal understand what she needed to do next rather than feeling overwhelmed by the painting as a whole.
When a DIY Course Still Feels Supported
One of the concerns people often have about learning through a pre-recorded course is what happens when they get stuck.
A video can show you how something is done—but what if you try it yourself and aren't sure whether you've done it correctly?
For Meghal, this was where the support from Vibha and the team made a difference.
Although she was learning through recorded lessons, she wasn't left completely on her own.
“Vibha and her team from Tanjore Collectives were very supportive and were available for questions throughout the process.”
That meant Meghal could work independently while still having someone to turn to when she needed clarification.
It's a combination that can be particularly valuable when learning an intricate art form for the first time: the freedom to learn at your own pace, along with the reassurance that guidance is available when you need it.
From Following Videos to Creating Her Own Painting
For any beginner, there is a point when learning something changes from simply following instructions to actually feeling capable of doing it yourself.
For Meghal, that moment came when she completed her Lakshmi painting.
She writes:
“I could follow the instructions and the lessons and could create my first Tanjore painting!”
That sentence captures something important about learning an art form for the first time.
The goal isn't only to finish a painting.
It is also to understand the process well enough that the finished artwork feels like something you created, rather than something you simply copied.
For Meghal, the DIY course gave her that experience.
She started with the lessons, worked through the different stages and eventually completed her first Tanjore painting—all while learning from Canada.
A Teacher Who Made the Experience Personal
While the videos and materials gave Meghal the structure to learn, she also remembers the person behind the teaching.
Her review of the course speaks as much about Vibha as it does about the painting itself.
“Vibha is an excellent and kind and compassionate teacher.”
That personal connection can make a difference when learning an art form that requires patience and practice.
For a beginner, encouragement matters.
So does knowing that questions are welcome.
And for someone learning from another country, having that support can make an online course feel much more personal than simply watching a collection of instructional videos.
From India to Canada, One Painting at a Time
Meghal's Tanjore painting journey began with a simple decision: to learn.
But her experience also shows what made it possible.
The materials travelled from India to Canada.
The lessons travelled through a screen.
And the guidance was available whenever she had questions.
She didn't have to be physically present in a Tanjore painting studio to learn the craft.
She could learn from her own home, at a time that suited her, while still receiving the support she needed.
And at the end of it, she had something tangible to show for the journey: her very first Lakshmi Tanjore painting.
Looking back, Meghal had one final message for the teacher who helped her get there:
“I would highly recommend learning from Vibha of Tanjore Collectives!”
And then, quite simply:
“Thank you, Vibha, for teaching me the skills for Tanjore painting!!”
For us, Meghal's story is a reminder that learning a traditional Indian art form doesn't have to be limited by geography.
Sometimes, the classroom can be at home.
The materials can travel across borders.
And with the right guidance, your first Tanjore painting can begin wherever you are.
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