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Since others have already given much better advice on the rest of your post than I could I would just like to make a comment about who can decide when your work is of what caliber.
Put aside judges and juried shows, since these are often based on certain bias no matter how objective they try and be. Not a bad thing, due to varied tastes, it leaves plenty of room for all kinds of work. But it really has little value in your own growth as an artist if others, even very knowledgeable others, like your work.
I prefer to always answer this when asked with, YOU. What do I mean? If you look at your own work with a critical eye and then look at work of others I think if you are honest with yourself you have a pretty good idea how your work compares. I am not saying that your work must be the same as someone else's. But if you look at your work you can see if your drawing is good, if your values are correct and so on.
Of course it helps to know what you are looking for. But that is were the other replies to your post come in about education. Even when you haven't learned about edges and how to handle paint you can look at a good painting and you can recognize that it is good even if you are not sure yet what makes it so, or why it is appealing to you.
If you truly want to improve you must work on developing a critical eye. How do you develop this? By looking at great works of art, for one thing, and also by studying the things around you. I mean really looking and recording in your mind what you see.
You might get a few odd looks at parties when you get caught staring at a person's nose under a particular light or your significant other may jab you in the ribs for looking at something else when they are trying to talk to you. But so what? You're an artist. Just reply that you are working on developing your critical eye.
Then look at your work with this same eye. Does what you painted hold up to what you saw in nature or does that passage of paint have the finish of that painting you saw in the museum? You will know when your work is good when you can look at it and say, yes, I think I handled that area pretty well.
You will know when it is not good also. It amazes me that those whose drawing skills need work ask what is wrong with their painting. I always think they must already know. After all, we all could see if a person walked up to us with a distorted face so why can't you see it in our work. Of course you can. But you must want to see it. Be critical and honest and you will know when your work is good or not. This was just an example, not meant to be directed at anyone in particular.
On a side note, don't be discouraged. A certain amount of dissatisfaction with everything you have done so far is a healthy thing. It helps you grow. Heaven forbid I ever feel I have made a prefect painting. I might just give it all up. After all, what goal could I set after that?
Thankfully I doubt I will ever have to worry about that since there is so much in nature to challenge the artist. Trying to capture life on a 2-D canvas and light with just paint will always come up short, so no matter how good we get, if we keep working on that critical eye it will always tell us we still have work to do.
There is still plenty to learn about the use of paint and how to apply it and about design and composition and that is where the instruction you asked about comes in. Without developing a critical eye of your own you will never be able to take what you have learned and apply it to your own ends. It is up to you to develop this.
It cannot be taught. Guided, yes, but taught, no. Why? Because your critical eye must also be unique to your view of the world. Others can guide you on your journey but only you know where you want to go.
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