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Abrey graduated in 1995 from the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) in painting and has never stopped learning. “Each [art] piece is another step towards learning more and becoming better. I’m mostly inspired by surpassing what I’ve done in the past.” That might include finding a more efficient process to mass produce the magnets AMPA commissioned. “It was probably a bit silly,” he explains, of the 800 squares he individually painted and sanded twice before silkscreening with text, and finally finishing with a coat of lacquer. He even built his own silkscreen for the process. As a result, each magnet is truly handmade. Abrey is living his dream as an artist. “I’ve been [making art] all my life, since I was six years old.” Examples of his work include paintings that have a retro, comic book feel that require a painstaking process of 20 coats of paint, multiple stencils and many layers of lacquer. Far from the common perception that a life devoted to art makes one go crazy, for Abrey it’s quite the opposite. “Art keeps me grounded.” Keep Paul grounded; support Alberta magazines; and own cheeky art by purchasing the magnets. $2 each or $6 for the set of four (www.albertamagazines.com).
AMPA will have a booth of arts and literary magazines on Saturday July 26th and Sunday July 27th at the Calgary Folk Music Festival from 9 am to 5 pm. Come visit us
Work/Life Inspires Artists, Designers and Publishers AMPA: What inspired you to create Work/Life? Work/Life is a celebration of artists and creators, and you delve into their processes. What was your most interesting finding? Why are people drawn to those who make their living through art? Why should someone pick up Work/Life today? Come down to the UPPERCASE Gallery (100 7th Avenue SW, Downtown Calgary) to pick up a copy of Work/Life and to take part in AMPA’s AMPed Up Event, UPPERCASE Party - Design Pairings, Thursday August 14th, 7pm - 9pm (see Events for more details). Work/Life is also available online at http://shop.uppercasegallery.ca.
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The magnets are a miniature version of a collection of larger tiles Abrey aims to attach to public spaces. “Consistency is for squares” and “Catch YourselfThinking” are some examples of sayings that are personal to Abrey, yet universal in scope, resonating uniquely to each person who encounters them. “I like that my art can bring back memories and open people’s minds to different ideas,” he says. 
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Work/Life is a book for artists who make a living doing what they love. It provides inspiration and spotlights the immensely talented designers and illustrators in Canada, and peers into their sketchbooks, studios, and processes. Created by UPPERCASE Gallery’s Janine Vangool, Work/Life recognizes the unpredictable nature of jobs that require passion, flexibility, and taking the risk to turn inspiration into reality. “Chances are, your work and your life are one and the same and you wouldn’t have it any other way,” reads the description on UPPERCASE’s website. AMPA talks to UPPERCASE proprietor and Beyond magazine’s art director Janine Vangool about the book—a fantastic resource for magazine professionals looking for new talent.
Congratulations to the Homeschooler’s Guide, which enters its fifth year of publication this July. "We are pleased to continue providing parents with the education resources and information they need to obtain the best possible education for their children from preschool all the way to post-secondary,” says editor Theresa Kondrat Bochulak.