This is Not a Painting.....or is it?

OK it's out of season but that's the least of issues here.
If I said that this was 42x30" painted on canvas I would probably receive considerable kudos for my efforts. But then I would be telling lies.
Usually I paint in acrylics or watercolours. Occasionally I employ other traditional medias.
Other than my eyes, my legwork in tramping the countryside searching for inspiration, considerable imagination and a lot of hard work, however, this is totally created employing digital technology.
The thing is that, because it was produced digitally, it is almost invariably dismissed as 'non art' by the purists.
My task as an artist is to create stimulating images, to describe the world in which I live, and to express my experience of it.
This particular image required a lot of experience (as an artist), a lot of looking and consideration, and a certain level of skill in manipulating the softwares which produced the image on my screen. The result is a balance of composition, colour and value, just as if I had actually painted it with brushes and pigment.
So why should it be considered any less of a work of art? Produced as a decent giclee and most would be none the wiser.
Thank you for your indulgance.

Autumn Lane (Digital. 5.32 megabytes) Click to enlarge