I really hate to be as judgemental about art as I am(see #16) I realize it's all just representational. And I do love cartooning as well as tattoo art(not for me to GET one tho) Part of my problem with pure representationalism is since I was pigeonholed into one style as an aspiring artist I spent a lot of time lashing out at other styles out of spite. It actually turned me off to my own major back in college. I only draw as a hobby now, I still don't have the love for it that I used to.
I'm sorry that your love of art was suppressed so soon. However, the bright side is that you may be earning a higher life style as a non-artist. And the really bright side of it, for FR, is all the wonderful insights you share here.
Sometimes I think that those who really have something new to say will keep saying it, regardless of whether anyone is "listening" (or "looking"). (And I have to think that it will be in a personal and somewhat abstracted style, since realism has been done ad infinitum. But maybe I'll be proven wrong; my prejudice is toward abstraction, although it is more difficult to understand.)
This may be a reason not to have quite so many grants; do they just help lazy artists who wouldn't otherwise make it?
By the way, this first Station of the Cross is quite large, something like 3' x 4' (although I don't have the exact measurements here), not just 8 1/2" x 11".