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Of course you have "potential", Marta, and lots of it. With some adjustments this could be a beautiful piece to showcase your talents.
The first thing that jumps out at me is the eye on our left side. Generally speaking, the corners of eyes should line up with the edges of nostrils. (Hold a pencil up to the side of your nose and check this out for yourself in the mirror. The line may be off a bit - mine is - but it's safe to bet it will be the same distance "off" on the other side, too.)That position stays the same even if the head is tilted; that is, the eye doesn't slide off the face like a loose cannon in a storm. That eye also appears to be looking down. You're going to have to perform an eye transplant, like it or not. This is the kind of detail that you have to get exactly right. Post back here if you have never moved a whole eye on an oil painting and would like encouragement.
I'd eliminate or greatly reduce that line from the nose to the mouth on the right side. Without seeing your reference photo I'm not sure what's going on there, but see what you can do with subtle color changes. Remember that Caucasians have a reddish band across the middle of their faces, encompassing noses, cheeks and ears.
Hold your reference photo up to the light and really look at her neck - I'm betting that the shadow isn't as dark as you've made it here. Put more time into your sitter's clothing, too, and find believable folds and shadows.
You need to put some bones and knuckles into that hand on the left side.
I know you don't want any "nitpicking" and so I hestitate to go further. I will if you want me to.
One thing is for sure: you've put a lot of love into painting that cello, making me wonder whether you're a musician yourself, perhaps?
Best regards,
Linda
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