Newbie at Illustrator scripting needs help assigning image

I am trying to copy a graphic stored in a vb.net picturebox.image into an activeLayer of an illustrator document. Can anyone supply me with code as to how to do it. Also is there a way to lookup a swatch by name and not have to rely on knowing it's index as in this line of code : pathRef.StrokeColor = docRef.Swatches(3).Color. I know the swatch's name is "CutContour" I would like to assign it by name. And lastly does anybody know any good books, links, etc.. that show you how to do this kind of stuff.

Thanks,

Bruce

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Imports IDAutomation.Windows.Forms.LinearBarCode
Imports Illustrator

Public Class FormMain
    Dim barcode As IDAutomation.Windows.Forms.LinearBarCode.Barcode = New Barcode()
    Dim illustrator As Illustrator.Application = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
    Dim filePath As String = My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath

    Private Sub FormMain_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        barcode.SymbologyID = barcode.Symbologies.Code39Ext
        barcode.BarHeightCM = 1
        barcode.XDimensionCM = 0.03
        barcode.NarrowToWideRatio = 2
        barcode.LeftMarginCM = 0.201
        barcode.TopMarginCM = 0.201
        barcode.TextMarginCM = 0.051
        barcode.ShowText = False
        barcode.CaptionBottomAlignment = StringAlignment.Center
        barcode.CaptionBottomSpace = 0.03

        Dim barcodeText As String = "CODE39UPC" 'hard code barcode content for this test

        barcode.DataToEncode = "*" + barcodeText + "*"
        barcode.CaptionBelow = barcodeText
        PictureBox1.Image = barcode.BMPPicture 'Display Barcode
        barcode.SaveImageAs(".\upc.png", System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png)

        Dim fileName As String = filePath + "\Roland VersaWorks.eps"

        Try
             illustrator.Open(fileName)
         Catch err As Exception
             MsgBox("Missing File: " + fileName)
             illustrator.Quit()
             Me.Close()
         End Try

        Dim docRef As Illustrator.Document = illustrator.ActiveDocument
        Dim pathRef As Illustrator.PathItem = docRef.ActiveLayer.PathItems.Rectangle(100, 0, 300, 100)
        pathRef.StrokeColor = docRef.Swatches(3).Color 'Set strokeColor to CutContour Swatch
        pathRef.Filled = False ' Don't Fill rectangle with anything
        docRef.ActiveLayer = docRef.Layers(2) 'Activate UPC Layer

        '############## I need to copy PictureBox1.image into this activeLayer! How do I do it? ###########

        Dim epsOptions As Illustrator.EPSSaveOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.EPSSaveOptions")
        epsOptions.CMYKPostScript = True
        docRef.SaveAs(filePath + "\test.eps", epsOptions)
        illustrator.Quit()
        Me.Close()
    End Sub

End Class