copyright infringment

ok so i was told that the image i used in the artwork from the previous post was probably copyrighted and was pretty recognizable from the orginal. the lady went on to tell me that if it was my own work that i had used i would be able to use it in a porfolio, but as it is now i can not. how stupid does she think i am. i'm not retarded. never did i deny that it wasn't completely my own work. all the colors and maniplulation was mine but the statue used for the guys was not. i never intended to pass it off as my own. i knew that i could not use it for anything outside of the purpose it was created for. it irritates me when people underestimate my intelligence.