Srishti Gurukul - Santa Clara, California

Sri K.

Srishti Gurukul art class provides a unique exposure to sculpting that one could ever experience. The teacher is very passionate and knowledgeable about sculpting and temple architecture. He pushes students out of their comfort zone to bring out the art work from the student.

I have no prior experience in any form of art / drawing. The teacher insisted and guided me to learn this art and to sculpt Lord Ayyappa.

My class consisted of 3 sections - Theory, clay work , casting and molding.

In the first section we learnt theoretically about different topics like deity postures, hand gestures , deity ornaments, body structure and face features along with basics of temple architecture, different measurements used in idol creation. We also learnt about the basics of 2D drawing and how to implement it practically using clay.

The second section is about claywork, here we applied the theoretical section using clay and come up with different shapes using clay, Venu sir teaches different techniques that can be applied in the clay to come up with the desired structure., we were given 2 different sculptures - Nandi , which is a common sculpture for all students and 2nd sculpture is of students choice.

In the third section, we learnt about moulding and sculpting this is a very unique experience wherein we learnt how to preserve our clay work. Here we learn to prepare the mother mold from the clay work and then cast the clay work using the mold.

The teacher is very dedicated and gives his 200% into the classes and expects prompt completion of assignments from the students, this is more of a crash course and if we follow the guidelines and be prompt in the assignments we would cherish the output and benefit a lot from this course. I would recommend this classes for any one who is interested in Indian art.

Sumanth G. B.

Srishti Gurukul is an intense course of Indian traditional sculpture based on the ancient Sthaapatya Veda. It goes into the specifics of sculpture and teaches fine techniques of sculpting. The teacher, Mr. Venu Devu is descended from a lineage of Sthapatis, supreme craftsmen who were in charge of building an entire temple and were in charge of thousands of sculptors, from the Vijayanagara era. The twelve-week long course is quite interesting with multiple reference papers, long , in-depth class teaching sessions, and rigorous homework assignments. Although the work load is fairly large, it is a crash course of sorts and the speed is the key component through which all the knowledge will be transferred. I learnt a lot in Srishti Gurukul. I discovered for myself another aspect of Indian art, as I already learn Carnatic music. The teacher has a deep and clear understanding of the topic and is more than qualified to instruct multiple students. All in all, Srishti Gurukul is a unique blend of learning and hardwork which is great for anybody.
Those who are prepared for the work load, and can be consistent with the time commitment will fare great in this class.

Poonam D.

I am so glad I signed up for this class. The experience has been so valuable and more than what I expected it to be. I, not only learned about sculpting techniques but something invaluable flowered within myself. This would have not been possible without Venu Ji’s guidance and support. As a teacher, he is always there to answer any question or offer help to his students. He made himself available after class hours to work with students on individual projects. Venu ji encourages every student to go up and beyond his/her comfort zone. The results are simply marvelous. Thank you, Venu ji. I don’t think I can go ever back to not sculpting. I have developed a lifetime passion for this art form. Thank you🙏

krishnanand T.

An awesome experience !! I highly recommend Shrishti Gurukul classes for someone passionate about learning and practicing Indian sculptures. I have alway been keen on trying a hand at Indian sculptures and fascinated by the beautiful designs on Indian temples. So Shrishti Gurukul class seemed like a great opportunity when my wife first spotted it on facebook. The whole experience was very delightful right from the very first interaction with Venu. An awesome instructor whose passion for the art shows up in every aspect of the class. The coursework definitely needs dedication and Venu provides all the help and encouragement as needed. There were times when I was on the verge of giving up for lack of time (office work surged) but due to Venu's persistence, encouragement and lots of help I was able to complete. If you are dedicated and passionate, Venu will do everything he can to help you. In the classes, Venu also provides relevant history/anecdotes/theory/math related to the sculpture which was quite interesting. The course material content is quite educational. I liked the format of the course - the theory and drawing sections get you familiar with the 3D perspective, axis etc; early sculpting exercises like sculpting hands (mudras) based on the earlier drawn versions solidify the understanding and ultimately leading to projects. I completed Intermediate Part-1 of the course and I'm eagerly waiting for the Intermediate Part-2 to start. Attached is a picture of one of my completed projects (the one that I was about to give up). So happy the way it turned out.

Nanditha G.

Ancient Indian art is always appreciated but rarely taught. Srishti Gurukul took this ardent step to teaching this art form both in person and online.
A chance encounter on Facebook page, revealed the stunning sculptures made by students (from all over the world) of Srishti Gurukul. I was both wary and intrigued. Immediately spoke to Venuji who runs this Gurukul. All I said to him was that I admired art but have never had any experience with any art form (literally). He persuaded me that all that was required was hard work, discipline and commitment. I trusted his capacity to teach more than my ability to sculpt and had a fantastic experience.

At every step, I wad guided and corrections were provided to improvise (thanks to zoom, whatsapp sessions). Venuji gives it his all and encourages to unwind and enjoy the experience. He goes above and beyond to assist you in every way he can. This is a course I heartily recommend.
Personally, apart from drawing, sculpting and temple architecture - this course demonstrated my capacity to be disciplined and the extent to which I can be disciplined. At the end of the day, I wanted to do more. As the course draws to a close, I'm looking forward to visiting temples to see and appreciate their splendor from a new perspective.

Sudha M.

Sudha Mahadevappa, Fall 2021, San Jose, CA
Thanks, Venuji for being a wonderful teacher and making this class interesting. I could not have made my deities without your guidance and constant support. Despite not having initial art or drawing experience, Venuji's clear and simple steps allowed me to easily follow instructions for both drawing and sculpting. In this course, Venuji covered a multitude of topics including drawing, clay sculpting, as well as the wide range of topics related to temple architecture. We learned in detail the tala scale, the different styles of jewelry, costumes, hairstyle, postures ... , which we were able to use while sculpting the deities. We worked on 2 projects during the course 1st deity was lord Ganesh which was common project and second was deity of your choice. when i chose the Chamundeshwari Devi as my second sculpture i was doubtful about my skills but but Venuji provided guidance on the sculpture and video tutorials covering every single detail on the deity. He provided corrections for the homework submissions in a very constructive way enabling us to finetune our skills and making finial deity perfect. Venuji is a very passionate teacher providing constant support and guidance throughout the course. He provided additional support sessions towards the end of the course, enabling us to complete the deity successfully.
I would definitely recommend this class to anyone who is interested learning this art form.

Riya P.

Finished a Maha Saraswathi sculpture with guidance from teacher Mr Venu.
In the classes learnt many concepts from the ancient scriptures on how to make a good sculpture. The theory behind each symbol that is usually shown with every God picture. Overall the classes were enjoyable and a very good intense learning experience !

Module 2 - spring 2021
Attended module 2 with Mr Venu and it was truly enriching . Did a sculpture (Lord Hayagriva) with armature wires and the final sculpture came out very beautiful with the teachers guidance . Mr Venu has in depth knowledge of temple architecture and it is rare for such teachers to impart this knowledge to students . He is very encouraging and very motivating. Very responsive teacher and always has detailed feedback to improve the sculpture even in online class .

Bhuvana G.

My 10 year old daughter enjoyed this class. I would highly recommend this course whoever is interested in arts - for all ages as they have beginners, intermediate and advanced level classes. The teacher is highly passionate about his profession and goes above and beyond once he knows that you are serious and dedicated. I never came across any teacher who takes extra time to help the students, beyond the assigned class hours. He teaches the different techniques of sculpting hindu temple art forms based on Agama Shastra using clay and other appropriate sculpting tools(which are covered in the course fees). I am very happy that my daughter got an exposure about this ancient art and would definitely continue the upcoming classes.