Experienced tutor in Drawing in Dallas, Kay offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Kay is an engaging and personable teacher. Her classes cover not only an overview and basic principles of the medium but also specific aspects of presentation. I have taken several classes from her and learned new skills and developed new ways of thinking about art each time. I have been able to significant progress in my ability to reproduce what I see in my mind on paper. What a pleasure.

Following surgery during a period of curtailed physical activity, I took the Introduction to Watercolor Painting at ArtSpeaks Studio by Kay Byfield. I was a true beginner and was amazed by how much there is to learn about watercolors and technique! Kay taught us about Hue (color), Value (light/dark, shade/tint), temperature of colors, color complements and how to do a Value Study. We learned how to take a photograph and transfer it into shapes on watercolor paper with proper composition, and then paint those shapes, resulting in a finished painting. Kay is an experienced, positive and enthusiastic teacher who quickly assesses an individual's ability and offers constructive criticism to help you learn and become a better painter.

I very much enjoyed learning techniques of watercolor painting at the Creative Arts Center with Kay. I look forward to having the time in retirement to paint often.

I've had Kay as an instructor for two sets of classes, and I think the fact that I went back for another round of lessons speaks to the quality of the experience. Kay takes you through everything a beginner needs to know, including supplies, techniques, colors, composition, etc... and does it in a way where you get to paint what you actually want to paint. I also appreciate that she regularly delves into some of the theory of watercolor, showing a range of professional paintings along with the steps the artists took to make them. It helps demystify the process and shows just how much is possible within the medium. I would definitely recommend her classes to anyone, from complete beginners to people with experience looking to hone up on their techniques or just get some more guided practice.

Having taken multiple classes taught by Kay Byfield I can say without reservation that she is a dedicated teacher of Watercolor Painting who clearly loves what she does; both teaching and painting. Kay designs classes that include theory, history, skill building and plenty of painting! The classes always come with a mix of skill sets, from beginner to advanced, and she always finds a way to provide encouragement, nurturing and challenges for all levels. The most important thing I learned during the class (among many lessons) was to not be afraid of the paint, the paper, and the brush – just dive in and paint!

Kay Byfield was recently my watercolor instructor through the Dallas Creative Arts Center. I thoroughly enjoyed her class and I feel that I learned a lot from her. It was apparent that Kay put a good deal of thought and preparation into her classes: including providing examples and discussing them, bringing a live model to class, leading critiques and bringing images to help us form ideas for subject matter. She also gave assignments to work on at home.
Kay was particularly helpful to me by encouraging me to come to and even join a

couple of local watercolor societies. I did join one and have thoroughly enjoyed the

meetings. I had gotten out of painting in the last several years and wanted to get

motivated to paint some more. Kay's class definitely helped me accomplish that goal. I

would gladly recommend Kay as a teacher to anyone who wants to start, or restart, their

artistic endeavors. She is knowledgeable, friendly, dedicated, and intuitive as a teacher.

Having taken multiple classes taught by Kay Byfield. I can say without reservation that she is a dedicated teacher of Watercolor Painting who clearly loves what she does; both teaching and painting. Kay designs classes that include theory, history, skill building and plenty of painting! The classes always come with a mix of skill sets, from beginner to advanced, and she always finds a way to provide encouragement, nurturing and challenges for all levels. The most important thing I learned during the class (among many lessons) was to not be afraid of the paint, the paper, and the brush – just dive in and paint!

My interest in making art is fairly new, starting with art journaling. Then I worked with watercolors, and there's just something so intriguing about them. Knowing that I needed help to master this medium, I took two watercolor courses by Kay Byfield, a workshop and a beginning class. Kay is so knowledgeable and yet approachable, combining presentations with hands-on execution seamlessly. It's definitely not a "paint along with me" class. Instead, almost from the beginning, each of us worked with subjects that interested us, all the while incorporating important concepts of design and paint management. With her help, I improved in my brush work and created a painting of my pet parrot that I'm quite pleased with. I highly recommend her classes for anyone wanting to begin or expand an artistic practice.

I'm so pleased to have found Kay Byfield's online "Drawing for Painters" class. Kay's extensive knowledge, well-organized teaching style, straightforward critiques and personal attention helped me learn valuable lessons in a short time. Kay structures her classes to nurture student growth by addressing specific challenges faced by artists of all levels. I enjoyed this class because it helped me think differently about my paintings and improve my skills. I plan to sign up for more classes to focus on what will make the most difference and take my artwork to the next level!

My husband and I took a watercolor painting class with Kay and had so much fun. I am very analytical and really have to step out of my comfort zone to do anything creative. Kay made the experience enjoyable and had a lot of patience with me. My husband took to it much more quickly. As daunting as it may seem, Kay makes it easy and we look forward to taking more classes with her.

My wife, Michele, and I are often looking for opportunities do things together so when we came across Kay’s watercolor class, we were excited to broaden our horizons and try some watercolor painting. Neither of us had experience with watercolors or really painted at all, however, Kay assured us we would be able to do this with a little coaching and some practice. She was right. Her passion for her craft and her patience with the student was evident right away and we were very comfortable learning a new skill. Kay’s teaching and constant encouragement of the student puts her in a class of her own. Because of this, we still paint today. Thank you, Kay, for giving of yourself and teaching us the joys of watercolors.

I had the privilege of taking a watercolor class taught by Kay Byfield and it was by far the most enjoyable and enlightening class I have taken. Ms. Byfield is a very knowledgeable teacher who is dedicated to her students growth while creating an environment which is nurturing and supportive. And as we were at different levels of skill and potential, Ms. Byfield was able to assess each students level and meet their individual needs. In addition to thoroughly enjoying Ms. Byfield’s class, one of the most important rewards for me was that I learned to see objects and colors in a different and better way and I learned to appreciate the visual part of life much better

I took Kay's beginning watercolor class and really enjoyed it! Kay is a warm teacher, and her many years of teaching experience as well as her open attitude combine to create a great learning environment tailored to her students and their abilities. She's very interested in her students making fine art and provides direction in picking subjects and compositions which support this goal. One of my great takeaways from her class was getting objective feedback on my own weaknesses as an artist as well as what I could do to improve my art, and I'm able to use that feedback in the other mediums I work in. I highly recommend taking classes from Kay!

To Whom it may concern,

     

Kay Byfield was recently my watercolor instructor through the Dallas Creative Arts Center.

I thoroughly enjoyed her class and I feel that I learned a lot from her. It was apparent that

Kay put a good deal of thought and preparation into her classes: including providing examples and discussing them, bringing a live model to class, leading critiques and bringing images to help us 

form ideas for subject matter. She also gave assignments to work on at home.

Kay was particularly helpful to me by encouraging me to come to and even join a couple of local watercolor societies. I did join one and have thoroughly enjoyed the meetings. 

I had gotten out of painting in the last several years and wanted to get motivated to paint some more. Kay's class definitely helped me accomplish that goal. 

I would gladly recommend Kay as a teacher to anyone who wants to start, or restart, their artistic endeavors. She is knowledgeable, friendly, dedicated, and intuitive as a teacher.

Sincerely, Dan Hargrave