I have been following this thread and vowed I wasn't going to get involved, but I'd like to comment from Monsoon through Wabe and Trepz's latter posts. Anything after his last post I have not seen so it is not included in this commentary.

First let me state that I agree with Monsoon and others who have said this. This should be a LEARNING environment. Personally, the  pictures I find objectionable are when Poser people are stuck in the middle of the screen without much work done on them especially half clad to titilate. I'm not against nudity in art. I have a nude gallery. What I don't like is lowering nudity as an art form so it verges on porn. Yes, I know we could have a whole discussion on what is porn, but I think the people who produce pictures to titulate others know what I am talking about..

I, also, object to bashing of other people. There is no place in a forum for this. Let's stick to ideas and grow with and from them.

I used to put up work in my Rendo gallery. I don't bother any more. I got tired of some of the comments so I put them all in a Vue gallery on my website. I consider myself an artist. I have worked in the field professionally on and off since my early twenties. I have shown my photographs in galleries in NYC and sold prints all over the world. So if this makes me a professional in some eyes, hurray. To me the definition of a professional artists does not need to revolve around selling of their work. Some people who call themselves artists sell like crazy and their work is just churned out crap. I am not speaking about work to sell and work for oneself. I know that often to sell, certain types of work need to be produced, but in one's spare time, one works differently. That is not what I am addressing.

 If don't work on an image, a little of me feels like it is dying. I feel unfulfilled. I need to do art work. I have studied hard and long and taught various forms of art. I do not believe to be a professional one has to go to art school, but one must study and learn. I have taught subjects from Kindergarten to College Level. The love of learning has always been a point I have stressed as well as creativity regardless of the field. I started teaching in the slums of NYC and have also been subject to "hard knocks" as well as debilitating migraine headaches. It either makes one stronger or breaks one.

If comments were actually constructive, I'd put my work up again, but I have felt why bother, one can go to my gallery and e-mail me or IM me if they want.

Anyway, enough. Let's be constructive here and grow. If somebody says they don't feel that the art work is as good as it used to be, that is a valid point if the point was made to start a good discussion on why or not why  this is the case and what is the purpose of this forum. Let's just not get personal and let's use this forum as a GROWTH tool.  I am not pointing any fingers. I am speaking in general as regards this thread as well as others.