Terris, the first westerner to have studied the art of Tibetan thangka painting ( Nepal 1966-75 ). His first teacher, the State Artist of Tibet, the late Jampa Tsedan. He had 4 other teachers including the Ven. Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche.1969 he became a student of the 16th Karmapa. He has taught thangka painting, at Naropa Institute at Ven. Chogyam Trungpa's request, and in the USA since 1974. Since 1976 at the suggestion of the 16th Karmapa, he began painting birds, on silk with mineral and botanical pigments, as well as thangkas. Between 1992-2007 Terris and Leslie Nguyen Temple created the two giant thangkas, and one 120' applique for Tsurphu Gompa, H.H.Karmapa's main seat in Tibet established in 1187 by the 1st Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa. These works are shown annually during major cultural festivals at Tsurphu. This is a tradition begun in 1590 at the Monastery.
For the last 25 years they are the artists to His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa and Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet. They are presently working on an another 120' applique for the Monastery.
Terris was born in California in 1944, participated in the Beat movement in the late 1950's, a harbinger of the 60's countercultural movement as well as the meeting of East-West with Tibetan Buddhism in Asia. He continues making art in his studios in Maui, Hawaii, Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Lhasa, Tibet. Traditional and contemporary painting, filmmaking, painting and Tibet projects keep him very active. Presently he is working on another film "Thongdrol" with HH the 17th Karmapa and David Cherniac another Tibetan art film. As well as contemporary works, and commissions, he is making significant contributions in Tibetan Art With Leslie.