Carpenter Enamel Center — Attraction in Bellevue

This past weekend I participated in Enameling Workshop II with Tom Ellis. My experience was nothing short of outstanding! I knew that his would be a great experience because I alsoTom is a fantastic teacher, and, as a lifelong educator myself, I know a good teacher when I see one! Tom uses an outstanding methodology: he gives a clear and informative demonstration that is accurately summarized in a very useful handout, and then he expects that his students will work on a project that incorporates the skills that he just demonstrated. A very important component of individual student work is that Tom is present to answer questions and to interact with the students when they are encountering difficulty or experiencing success. Tom has a delightful personality, and he adds many interesting personal components to his discussions. Above all, Tom knows his way around an enameling studio, and holds unsurpassed knowledge of how to develop beautiful work. I would wholeheartedly endorse participation in any workshop that Tom leads. He is,...

I used to be able to come here and just pop in and buy supplies and someone would be here. They have added an additional building years ago, so now if you come from off the street you don’t come to Thompson Enamel anymore, you come to Carpenter Art Enamel. I suggest you not post your hours as 8-4 if you aren’t going to be here. Especially when someone drives a half hour here and wastes over an hour of their time to end up leaving with no supplies that were needed. Should have left the set up how it was because at least you could buy something. Amazing supplies if you can...

CAEF is a great place to learn enameling with talented artists. I recently completed the Kathryn Osgood workshop and learned sugar firing techniques plus how to incorporate organic design into my enamels. A great instructor and a great facility! CAEF's facility is a large space with multiple kilns for student use during workshops, and they even provide a shop where you can purchase materials if you forgot an item (or want to take home extras to practice with). Overall,...