Sanje Elliott painting at the Stupa in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1987.
S A N J E E L L I O T T has been practicing the art of Tibetan Thangka painting since 1974 . His first teacher was an American artist named Glen Eddy. Since then he has studied with numerous Tibetan artists in Darjeeling and Kathmandu during his 3 years of residency in India and Nepal. Sanje is a former head of the art department at Naropa University. He now lives in Portland, Oregon.
“Painting is a window to the spirit, where all worlds—the visible and the invisible, can meet and become manifest. The artist, in order to best perform his function needs to perfect his craft, and then somehow step out of the way and allow the universe to come flowing through him. In this way, art can become an inspiration to man, and not just a reflection of lower self.”
Sanje Elliott (right) and Geo Cummings.