An Evening with

Tom Ellis

Thompson Enamel

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Thompson Enamel is the second oldest glass making company in the United States, and has been continuously in operation since 1890. Tom is Thompson Enamel’s ‘technical consultant’ and has held this position for the last 37 years.

He will give an overview of the company, information about its current glass products, and a brief description of Thompson’s lead-free enamels for metal and for Moretti/Effetre glass. Tom will also talk about the W. W. Carpenter Enamel Foundation which is right next door to Thompson. The Foundation houses a large collection of enameled art and teaches enamel workshops.

Check out Thompson Enamel to see their large selection of enamels, and W.W. Carpenter Enamel Foundation.

After the Demo Update!

 (If you missed it, remember that members can watch the recorded demo on the Facebook Members’ Page, check it out!  And if you aren’t a member but would like to be, visit the Membership page)

Tom Ellis, “technical consultant” for Thompson Enamel located in Bellevue, Kentucky, was our speaker this month. Thompson Enamel is the 2nd oldest jewelry enamel manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere having opened in 1890. He shared some historical data about the company as well as some photos of historical jewelry articles which included enameled items.

Charlie Cleves, the president of the Woodrow Carpenter Enamel Foundation, a third generation master jeweler, plique à jour artist, and the mayor of Bellevue was introduced by Tom. Charlie was instrumental in keeping the museum going and shared information about the museum as well as his interest in the enameling arts.

Workshops at the museum are offered, and students at Northern Kentucky University can take them for credit. Plans are in the works to also offer enamel classes online. Classes will be listed on the Thompson website.

Afterward, Tom showed us around the production facility, including some of the processes they use to make the 80 mesh enamels for the 9000 series used for COE 104 glass. He also talked about safety around enamels.

We saw some photos of amazing enamel pieces iin the museum. The pieces, some of the pieces donated by the artists, showcased a variety of enameling techniques.

Afterward, we were introduced to glass artists Pat Westby and Mickie Cowan, members of the Ohio Valley Enamel Guild in Dayton, Ohio. They use enamels in their work, and showed us some of their work with enamels, giving us hints on how to get the various effects. After the presentation, we were able to ask questions on the interesting subjects presented.

Thank you  all – Tom, Charlie, Pat and Mickie – for sharing your time and expertise with us!

Visit Thompson Enamel and the W.W. Carpenter Enamel Foundation for more information! 

Dragon members have access to this recorded presentation, found on our Facebook Members Group.