I've been Duped!

I've just recently been back online from a long absence-almost two years (long story). But when I got back online a couple of months back, I figured I'd do some searching for new art ideas. Using Google, I found what I think is a colourized copy of my drawing Midnight Swim. The only place I've had it posted (proir to this blog) is on my website. After doing some more searching, I found my drawing on two poster sites. When I tried to get to the featured page to see who the artist was, a sold-out banner appeared on each of these sites (yeah! for me, er umm him/her). The only thing I could get from the site is a cropped thumb nail (enlarged, below).
Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset about this, acutally I'm quite pleased. I never thought my art would ever be good enough to copy, let alone someone redo it, and market it. I haven't been drawing long enough to even think it would happen. Of any of the drawings I've done, I'm glad they chose this one. It is the one drawing that when I completed it I felt like, yes I really can do this. I liked it so much that it inspired another drawing, Reflections of Guilt, which I have posted earlier on this blog. The reflection in the water (which my scanner cropped off) was the trigger for Reflections of Guilt.
I guess that brings me to why I'm building this blog (other than my art being directly copied):
1. Since I've been drawing, a lot of people who have seen my work personally, have said things like-I wish I could draw, or I can't even draw a stick man, or something like that. Just a few years ago, I was one of those people. It was my best friend, who is an artist, that got me started. We were having coffee and he had brought his art with him. I really do like his art and I said something like the above. He threw me a pencil and a page from his sketch book and said, "Show me that line you say you can't draw." From then on, and many coffees with him, I started to draw 'recognizable' images, really. So, I'm hoping that someone may see this blog and pick up a pencil too. That's why I'm providing links and references to sites and books that I have used to learn and improve my drawing. My web page is too time consuming to update to do this. (Eventually I want to port the whole thing here, because updating here is as easy as email)
2. I'm "mentally" at the stage with my art that I'm willing to openly post it for criticism and critique, in an effort to improve my art. Maybe even suggestions for new drawings.
3. Hopefully, link exchange with beginning, and professional artists to increase the effectiveness of this site for the one person who may pick up a pencil. Even if I do only reach the one it's worth it.