I f'ing HATE a muddled palette!
Somebody do something.
If you like murky, muddy dark green and dark brown, have at it but most find it unappealing, even those who have no idea why they dislike it. Every field of endeavor requires skill on some level, painting a picture is not all subjective. If you “like” the subject matter, that’s fine. You might even consider it “art” and that distinction is yours to make. But, Mr. McNaughton is not very good at execution and that’s really inexcusable because technical proficiency is learned, not innate. I’d say he’s lazy.