Columbia instructor offering painting and drawing classes for total beginners and those who wish to fine tune their practice

I certainly recommend lessons with Kelsey. She easily explained each step it took to complete a representational painting, which seemed really daunting at first, and that it was a delight to be able to come and work at an artist's studio.

Terrific instructor! She is so patient, so kind, always timely, and a delight to be around. She plays great music to boot! Me and my girlfriend are enjoying our classes tremendously and look forward to them every week. Highly recommended!

We are two true beginners taking lessons together. In just 5 lessons, we have amazed ourselves at how much skill we have already acquired. Acquired because Kelsey is a master teacher who understands how to divide complicated processes into manageable chunks. She has maintained the ability to take the perspective of one who does not understand -- so sorely lacking in many others we tried to study with. We plan to continue studying with her for the foreseeable future because the sessions are so relaxing while being challenging, we exercise a different part of our brains, we achieve things we never even imagined possible.

I signed up with Kelsey for 10 private lessons to learn how to work with oil paints. I'm in my early 50's and this is something I had wanted to do for years. If there is a level before "Beginner" that would have been where I was starting from. We met at her loft in Greenpoint for 2 hour sessions. First, her friendly personality, patience and calm energy were the perfect foundation for a comfortable learning experience. We started with the basics and progressed at a level that was tailored for my abilities. I never felt self-conscious, judged or rushed. Very important things when you're learning the tools of creative expression. I would highly recommend Kelsey to anyone looking to explore the world of oil painting, whether they think they have any talent or not. She's the best.

I am 70 and always wanted to be able to draw. Never could do anything much beyond stick figures. Faces? Forget it. But look what I've accomplished after about 15 lessons, copying a Matisse portrait using conte crayons (and I work very slowly)!!! Kelsey is a patient and intuitively gifted teacher and a delight to sit across from as I learn. I'm so glad that I found her. I highly recommend that you study with her too. My second project was a self-portrait, again with conte crayon. I still can't believe that I did this, but Kelsey made it happen.

I arranged for several sessions for my 11-year old daughter who wanted to learn more than she gets in school. Ms. Shwetz is a warm, insightful teacher who took my daughter at her own speed, offering valuable lessons in technique and approaches while working on a project.

Kelsey takes a hand-on approach that encourages--rather than tries to pin down--my daughter's originality and interests. She is flexible to work with and attentive to her students. Most importantly, my daughter told me after the first lesson, "Finally, someone who takes me seriously" rather than just treat her like a kid who draws. Although I only have experience with how Kelsey works with kids, I would highly recommend her for any type of lesson.

I had an excellent experience with Kelsey. I was very specific about the type of things I wanted to work on and she addressed those things and much more. She understood exactly what I was trying to do as an artist and showed me how to better achieve it. From basic techniques and brush strokes to philosophical questions about painting.
I enjoyed our lessons very much. I asked her thousands of questions and she patiently answered them all.
Great teacher, great person.