Making fused glass art with Angela Prive Glass
Bridgetown woman started her artistic journey in Alberta
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Angela Prive never intended to be a fulltime artist. “I have been fortunate, however, and things just fell into place for me,” she says.
Born and raised in New Glasgow, Prive moved out west in 1997. Last summer, she returned home and moved to Bridgetown. But her artistic journey began in Alberta.
It all began when Prive’s neighbour in Alberta passed away. Her daughter was cleaning out her property and asked her if she wanted a kiln.
“I honestly didn’t know what a kiln was, so I googled it and thought, ‘Oh, that could be fun!’” says Prive.
From there, the woman’s daughter told Prive about a business in Airdrie, Alta., called Muk Luk Magpies, that offered fused and stained-glass courses. So she signed up and took the beginners’ stainedglass course, where she learned how to cut, prepare and solder glass.
“I was hooked immediately,” she says.
Next, Prive took a fused glass course to learn the basics. From there, it’s been a lot of trial and error and selfteaching to learn the art.
The result was the creation of Angela Prive Glass Art, a business focused on making fused glass art, garden art, functional pieces and mosaics.
Prive says the most popular item she makes are her hanging fish mobiles.
“I make and sell a lot of them as people like them as window hangings,” she says.
They can also be hung outside in a garden or from a tree.
She can also create custom orders but requires a 50 per cent non-refundable deposit for each project.
To source her materials, Prive purchases glass and supplies from a wholesale distributor in Ontario. She says she can often be found in thrift shops, antique shops and yard sales, looking for things to incorporate into her art.
Her pieces have gone
worldwide. Prive lived on Gabriola Island in B.C. for the past eight years and sold her pieces at the local farmers market and Christmas fairs. While there, she says people often told her they were sending her pieces all over the world as gifts.
“I love hearing stories of how my art has brought a bit of happiness to someone,” she says.
The story of her art that she loves the most, however, is about a simple night light.
A lady bought one as a Christmas gift for her sisterin-law. She had recently been involved in a drive-by shooting and could not sleep at her home anymore in the dark.
“My night light has brought her comfort and now she sleeps in her home again,” she says.
All of this craftiness comes naturally to Prive. She says she has always been very crafty and creative. In fact, it always seems to be on her mind. Sometimes, it keeps her awake at night, thinking of new things to make and do.
The most challenging part of her business is that she finds time-fused glass to be a very time-consuming process.
These days, Prive works on her art full time. By day, Prive was a non-destructive
testing (NDT) technician who worked in the Alberta oil sands and also inspected aircraft and Sikorsky helicopters. While she worked full time, she did her glass art as a hobby. Now, her art is her full-time pursuit.
“I didn’t think working from home on a full-time basis would be so much work. I love every minute of it,” she says.
In the future, Prive would like to share her space and knowledge with others who are interested.
“I know that setting up a studio and purchasing all the necessary equipment is out of reach for many, so I want my studio to be a place where like-minded artists and creators can come and learn to make beautiful pieces,” she says.
Her studio in Bridgetown is currently under construction, but once it’s complete, hopefully in the early spring, she plans to open it for public use.
In the meantime, anyone interested in seeing or purchasing from Angela Prive Glass Art can find the business on Facebook and Instagram.
Besides her fused glass art, Prive also refinishes furniture, creates mosaics, and has a flair for interior design.