I'm an amateur painter who likes to paint with soft pastels

[Perseus]

13. My recommendation to you is

From the greats, learn technique, admire what they do, learn about mixing colors, lighting, perspective, and everything that is under "techniques", but do not copy their style let yours flourish and you will be great. You already produce quality work, now let your own style develop, let your heart and gut guide you.

Many people want to become a Rembrandt, and they become frustrated because their work doesn't look like his, well...no one can be Rembrandt but Rembrandt, we all have to be ourselves and we must allow our inner artist to come out and produce what we can produce. If you look at Picasso's early work, he trended to paint like everyone else, he did portraits, and sort of realism, but it was when he decided to adopt the style that made him famous, which was the one that came natural to him that his best work was produced.

I visited the Metropolitan Museum, and I had always ignored abstract works because abstract always seemed to me coming from people who could not draw, or paint...just throw a bunch of paint on a canvas and call it art...until I saw the work of Jackson Pollock live. I was in shock, I got goosebumps, it was amazing. Now I have a lot of respect for most of that type of work, I won't do it myself, but some of it is really good. Granted, there is a lot of abstract work that is horrendous, in my opinion, but there is a lot of good work there as well.

When I help my kids do painting, I never tell them what to paint, I only teach them technique, how to get a certain color, and maybe recommend a brush for a certain part of the painting, but I let them do what they want to do. I also help them see what I can see that they may not be seeing themselves if they are painting anything from photo or live, but I don't mess up with their style, we all own our own style and should be that way.

I am mostly a portrait artist, but once in a while I will do some weird stuff because I feel like it, it comes natural..that happens a lot when I can't sleep but I am proud of that work too. Don't let anyone try to change what you do, if it comes from the heart, and its yours, then let it be, it has to make you happy.

By the way, I also consider myself an amateur, I have never sold a painting, I give them away to my friends and family, and I have done a ton, but its my hobby, nothing more. I did have about 30 in a gallery for one day, and I got a lot of praise and offers, but I don't sell them.

Thank you for sharing, it is quality work, keep at it.