To be accurate, I thought you HAD gone to prison due to not being around anymore, and it didn't surprise me all that much! Only someone who either hasn't tried painting, isn't very good at it, or just an outright snob wouldn't consider this artistic. Moving on.
I've actually entered one figure in a company competition, utilizing exclusively metallic paint to paint up a mecha. Don't know if I'll win, but I hope to at least get my photo in their magazine.