The first chapter, or maybe first couple chapters, set up what could have been an intriguing yet simple story, replete with forbidden love, highbrow art, and lowbrow nudes. Then comes the interference.
I really don't know what else to call it. I suppose there's the caveat that the wild swing in the story from "student draws nudes of attractive sensei" to whatever the hell this manga eventually turned into could be pinned entirely on Takatsu-sensei, and the end result was the axe.
At any rate, the manga would've been much better off sticking to the premise it set out with. Would there have been less drama, and thus less readers? Yeah, probably, but I would've enjoyed it a hell of a lot more.
Also, the rest of the art club didn't add much of anything for me, other than being obnoxious time-wasters. Yukari in particular, being the bad "childhood friend" archetype doesn't help matters.
The next problem is the incredibly stupid ending. Obviously, there have been much worse endings, especially recently, but this one brings us no closure on the MAIN POINT OF THE STORY, that being the relationship between the leads. What the hell is the point of reading this then? I have no idea, and that's why my rating dropped from 10 to 9, all the way down to my current 5/10.
Do I recommend Season of Alabaster? Well, the first couple of chapters piqued my interest the most, but after that I was left wanting. Now that it's complete, I think it's a little easier to swallow, but it is by no means a great work, nor one that delivers on the initial premise that it promised. Disappointing.