An elderly portrait painter in Beijing has caused an online frenzy after her amateur, doodle-like artwork went viral online and received mixed reviews from the public.

The self-claimed artist, surnamed Zhang, runs a portrait stall in Shichahai, a historic scenic spot located in northern Beijing. Many of her customers have posted and compared her portrait paintings online, criticizing the 65-year-old artist for “drawing childish doodles to scam tourists,” as all her works look alike and lack the sitter’s facial features.

“My friend and I look exactly the same in Zhang’s paintings. I can’t even recognize myself. She clearly has no talent in painting and blurred all my facial features with a simple brush,” a customer wrote on Sina Weibo.

In response to the public accusation, Zhang claimed she is a trained artist with seven years of experience in portrait painting, adding that the similarities in her work is meant to shows the sisterhood-like intimacy of her customers. It takes Zhang 15 minutes to finish a portrait, which costs the customer 10 to 20 RMB, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

Though Zhang’s artwork has been boycotted by many customers as “doodles with no aesthetic feelings,” many netizens have voiced their support for the elderly woman, calling her a true “soul artist.”

“She is an artist above her time. Vincent Van Gogh was not recognized or respected by the people of his time, but everyone likes his painting today. She simply offers us her perception of the world, maybe we should give her more encouragement rather than criticism,” a netizen wrote.

The generosity of Zhang’s fans is not shared by the local tourist administration. An urban administrative official in Shichahai told Beijing Youth Daily that such portrait paintings are not allowed at the scenic spot, adding that Zhang will be driven away if she’s spotted by them.