Thanks for the perspective and this incredible article. It's quite motivating and I love how you use the light (being a photographer I think it's easier for me to see) and the details/texture.

Going through the article, I felt two transitions: a. Where you did portraiture with landscape background, b. where you did the imaginative landscapes

   would do imaginative sketches of landscapes

The place where the article really connected/resonated with me was:

  But then I started getting annoyed. I got annoyed with how students are taught 
  and with how art schools take advantage of eager young art students. 
  I saw too many of my peers taken advantage of. They charge tens or hundreds 
  of thousands of dollars and give very little in return.

  So for one thing, I wrote that angry rant that a few of you might have read.

  In 2013, I started Art Camp. 

What you are doing is incredible and it's nice to see your passion being cohesively molded into a purpose which helps you to give back.

Kudos!