Choosing a quality painting contractor is as important decision as choosing paint, and usually more crucial. The highest-quality acrylic or oil cannot make up for sloppy corners, poor surface preparation, drips and over-charging. There are so many painting companies with integrity of workmanship and business practices. Here’s how to find one: ask, examine, and verify. Do one, both or all three on the following criteria:

Ask your contractor to show you his license, or to provide his business and contractor license numbers. You can verify this information on many government websites, or with a call to a licensing bureau. A licensed contractor has met standards of business practice and knowledge. An unlicensed painter can lead to insurance issues, which we will examine in a moment. A guy with a truck going door-to-door can quote a lowball price, but you will get expensive trouble.

Ask for references. You want names, addresses and phone numbers and you want to call them. Everyone loves to brag about finding “the best this” or “the most amazing that”. Boasting about finding someone to do a great paint job is no different. In addition, they already know how difficult it is to find a solid painter and most are happy to let you in on the result of their research.

There is one other reference that comes highly recommended: the Better Business Bureau. If they have received a lot of complaints about a particular contractor, they give that business a lower rating. “A+” is best, and there is no “F”. “C” does NOT mean this is an average painter. It means there have been a fair number of complaints.

Examine the quality of work. You may not want to call up references and ask if you can come over, although many people do. But at very least you can drive by and have a look. If it’s interior painting, obviously someone will have to open their home to you. You want to verify that the surfaces were well prepared: no obvious repairs, no neglected issues, and no sloppy edges and such. Does the paint cover evenly? Is there evidence he used masking to keep colors apart? In addition, there are questions you can ask references for verification. Did the painters arrive on time? Did they move furniture, cover floors or outdoor plantings, keep a clean job site, and clean up well before leaving? Were they pleasant? I think an unfriendly person is often unhappy in their work, and bad attitude leads to bad workmanship.

Ask about price, and ask what factors went in to setting that particular price. You want separate figures for labor, for paint and other materials, and you want to know if you are charged for cleanup, furniture moving and travel time. To verify if the price is in a normal range, ask references what they paid, and ask around the neighborhood to see what it cost them.

You want all of the pricing spelled out in a written contract. You want everything in writing, from start and end dates to daily arrival times. You want the estimated amount of paint listed. If there is primer, that should be priced out separately, including labor time for priming (it is usually faster). Have the painting contractor estimate how many coats it will take, and spell out what you agree to if it is determined you need another coat.

Does he offer a workmanship warranty? How will it work? Will he repaint fully, touch up, and pay for replacement paint? You want the warranty in the contract, too.

Insurance: a professional painting contractor should carry both liability insurance and workmen’s comp. The first protects you if someone is hurt on the job site. If there is no coverage, you can be sued or your homeowner’s insurance may have to cover costs. Workmen’s Comp insurance also protects you, as well as the crew. If they are hurt, you have no liability for their lost wages.

Too much work for you? Ask yourself this: can I live with a bad painting job for 7 years? Most last that long.

Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), the most influential figure of the ‘Contemporary Art,’ was recognized for his strongly expressed contempt for the field of conventional ‘Fine Arts.’ He was in a way related to ‘Surrealist Movement,’ the descendant of ‘Cubism.’ Duchamp’s methodology and themes however, were not well received by ‘Cubists.’ This led to his inclination towards the ‘Dada Movement.’ “Nu descendant un escalier n° 2 (Nude Descending a Staircase, No.2)” was Marcel’s most famous as well as scandalous ‘Dadaist’ work, which also became a turning point of his life.

Duchamp created “Nude Descending a Staircase, No.2″ work with great enthusiasm, in the year 1912. This path-breaking piece is a large 57.88″ X 35.12” oil work on canvas and currently hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This monochromic work, mainly in yellow and its shades, is quiet a ‘Cubist’ painting through its geometric representation rather than figurative. What really sets it apart is the spirit of ‘Futuristic Art’ infused in it. This painting hardly has any background, except the allusion to the dark ‘staircase.’ Instead of an embodiment of sensuality, this painting is composed of around twenty or so images of a mechanically structured figure, arranged in a sequence over the ‘staircase.’

In line with the ‘Cubist’ style, the bright figure, silhouetted against a dark background, is hard to distinguish as either male or female, structurally. The sequence of images exemplifies the changing postures of the figure as it descends the staircase, a concept very similar to the composition of a stroboscopic motion picture, which actually is a sequence of stills. “Nude Descending a Staircase, No.2” is definitely a result of keen observation and diligence. It carries an element of raw force of energy and futuristic vision.

This revolutionary ‘Futurism’ and unorthodox methodology drew a lot of opposition and negative reviews in its debut show at the Paris Salon des Indépendants, in 1912. Another reason for the poor response and eventually the rejection of the painting was the backdrop of the covert, contemptuous emotions behind this work. Annoyed Duchamp re-presented the painting at the International Exhibition of Modern Art in 1913. It again received criticism because of the common belief that it was a mere caricature of the much-revered subject of nudity, which lacked artistic aesthetics.

Loved or hated, public attention to “Nude Descending a Staircase, No.2” refused to slacken. It became a subject of many American parodies, including musicals, books, and paintings. This history remarkably justifies the words of William Hazlitt, “When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest.”

1. Pastels are made from the safe base as all other fine art paints, including oils and acrylics. The difference is the binder. Pastels use very little binder so it is almost like apply direct pigment to canvas.

2. Pastels are not chalk! Chalk is made from limestone. Pastels are totally different. Pastels are one of the oldest and most enduring foundations for hand painted portraits.

3. Pastel paintings do not check, crack, flake or darken because there are no additives, such as oil, to cause them to do so. Therefore it is considered the most permanent of all media.

4. It is important to have pastel portrait paintings framed under glass. Matting board should be used so that the painting does not rest against the glass. And like all fine art, keep it out of direct sunlight.

5. A canvas that is entirely covered is called a pastel painting, a canvas that is only partially covered is called a pastel sketch.

6. Pastel paintings hold their value. Some by Degas from the 19th Century sold for $3,000,000 each.

7. Pastel is a French word meaning pure, powdered pigment ground into a paste, with a tiny amount of binder. There is an infinite variety of colors ranging from subtle to bold and brilliant. Pastels are not synonymous with “pale”; rather, pastels create vibrant, luminous dark and light hues. They create depth and add magnificent reflective qualities to the painting.

8. Soft pastels have high pigment which yield brilliant color to a painting. Hard pastels are used for detail work and quick sketching. The artist may use pastel pencils as well for fine detail.