JRS Painting is well known for its razor straight cut in lines. Many years ago, when I was a journeyman painter it was easy to tell a painters experience just by how well they handled a paint brush. Well, not anymore. In today’s world a painter may be considered an amateur for even thinking he or she could make a straight-line free hand using only a brush. In fact, a valid argument could be made that -the brush itself is becoming a thing of the pass. And for that matter, the highly valued skills of today could be practically irrelevant tomorrow. And so, this industry is constantly undergoing change. Consequently, it pays to be a contractor / painter who is continually engaged with others in the industry. We must stop thinking in terms of competition and more like partners pooling our resources to help everyone do better. Contractors and painters alike must actively seek out information from both national and international sources. I’m a member of (PCA) Painting Contractors of America. And it has proven to be a valuable resource helping us keep up with all the changes occurring in the industry. Organizations like PCA provide a wealth of information together with our own research we can honestly expect that the next job will always be better than the last. My father was a painter and so I grew up with a paint brush in my hands. But I must admit one’s own personal experience just isn’t enough. It takes a village. And so, no matter the profession the best professional remains a student for life. I’m old enough to remember when airless spray equipment first became widespread on the market. Now, we have specialized spray equipment for each component of the job including those that spray the paint and the one spraying the plaster. By the way, I heard one painter in Europe mention, he doesn’t use paint rollers anymore. It makes a person wonder, what’s next.