Let me preface by saying that I'm not a great artist, what I do, I do to entertain myself. If others like it, great.  (My art is a hobby that my wife puts up with as it keeps me out of the bars.)
I have no formal training, and everything I've done has been trail and error. I look at pictures I like, then try to figure it out WHY I like it. I stumble along, learning as I go.
     As my background is in Autocad, I don't have the time or skill to learn how to make things myself, other than the simple boolean operations Vue offers. (I'm trying to learn sketch-up now) I can use Photoshop to some degree, but am not a wizard with it.
    Being one that uses the prefab stuff, I have to agree that it can be overdone and overdone very badly. In my defense (and some others that DO use the prefab stuff) I try to find different ways of using what I have, whether by retexturing, cutting parts off of props, etc.
    In essence, I try to make mine.
    Its not the tools one uses, but how they use it. 
    And I agree with Silverblade33 that the expression is probably the most important aspect of the render. Without the expression, then its just a mannequin in a store front window. I'll spend hours trying to capture the expression I'm looking for. Sometimes its the expression that becomes the image.
    (Note: If you're not into big breasted women in the central pose, don't waste your time with the links- does this qualify as a shameless plug?)
     Renderosity, at least to me, is a place to see both the accomplished artist, and the novice. Its a giant gallery in which to showcase ones work. There are seperate wings, dedicated to the particular program that was used to create that art. A lot overlaps, but everyone favors one or several. But unlike a real life gallery, the foyer is continually changing, every few seconds as new art makes its way in. Some of it is good, a few spectacular and quite a bit is what you would expect from people just starting to learn how to use the tools they have. We all wish we had the skill and the eye of the masters, would love to see our stuff with the thousands of feedbacks. But not all of us can be Vallejo, Frazzeta, Parrish, Rembrandt, (---insert favorite artist here---)
     Renderosity is the giant refrigerator that everyone puts their art on, whether from Pre-k to Grand Master
     So no, getting back to Tablesaw's original statement, I don't think we're losing the grandmasters, we're just seeing more and more of those who are either starting out (like me) or those progressing. We have the tools, and we have the will, and we are very dangerous to the eyes and senses!

...Insert some witty or thought provoking comment here...