The paint in your analogy is the data behind Wolfram|Alpha. W|A are the ones that organized the data into a usable form, then created a tool, which is theirs,

The paint in your analogy is the data behind Wolfram|Alpha. W|A are the ones that organized the data into a usable form, then created a tool, which is theirs, that we can use to access the data. It is as if you were at a party and were shown to a room with an easle, brushes, and paint, none of it yours, and were told you should feel free to create anything you wish. Oh, and you may use the Star Trek matter generator in the corner to make an exact copy for yourself before you leave. Attribution sounds reasonable to me. Especially since anyone who sees WolframAlpha as the source will understand that you were the one who querried the data out.