Alleycat, you're right in that I should probably have said "school of thought." My comments were based on observation of the comments and attitudes of others. I fully agree that patting newcomers on the head and gushing all over their stuff is patronizing. I would even say that on some level it could be considered downright insulting. I had six years of art studies in one form or another and one of the things I learned is that I can't draw my way out of a paper sack, I am a mediocre sculptor, and somewhat ok with oils and watercolors. I also learned that I had a good eye for color and composition, that I was able to look at something and know why it did or didn't work about 75% of the time. That's where I learned that I was more of an art appreciator than an artist. =) Having said that, I'm glad you liked what you saw in my gallery. I'm sure you noticed that I'm still trying to find my signature style. I still don't consider myself a real artist. I'm not really trying to say anything specific with my pictures, no earth shattering message of importance to be found there. My gallery is just illustrations of some of the stories I have rattling around in my skull. Like you, I'm totally self-taught in the realm of CG art and 3D applications. And what a learning experience that has been and still is! Thank you again for the compliment on my gallery. I've made a lot of progress over the past couple of years and I'm glad to see that it shows. =) But I'm still more of an audience member/critic than anything else - at least in MY mind. Kate