When i began my mentorship in metal work and metal smithing, i did not know what to expect. I knew i needed to express myself artistically in a different way but i just did not know how. I knew that my hands wanted to create and move from two-dimensional to three-dimensional art. i knew i wanted to work with metal but i just did not know the first thing about it. I also knew that what i wanted to create work that was symbolic to me spiritually as well as emotionally. And so it was with trepidation that i started the search for someone whose metal work would speak to me aesthetically as well as emotionally.I started my mentorship with Aimee Golant with absolutely no idea how anything in metal-smithing worked. After my first class i was hooked. I learned the basics; gauges of metal, tools' names and how each works, how each metal reacts to heat and the safety standards working in a metal work studio
I got to practice with each as well as talk to Aimee about her on work and what inspires her. In the next classes i learned to anneal copper and texture i learned to drill and saw it into different shapes and the learned to solder two pieces together. Aimee was patient especially as i was using her tools, tools that had been passed onto her by her grandfather. With each class i wanted to learn more and more. By the last classes, which were learning to set stones into the metal and dealing with silver, i knew this was were i wanted to be. My time learning how to create metal work was like going through the fire myself. Being primarily a realistic painter, this was a new way of expressing myself. A lot of times i would have to change my original design or idea to accommodate the tools i was working with. As the copper transformed in my hands so i felt my way of artistic expression transform. Aimee created a safe space that i was able to fully express myself and also be challenged. As i was creating a piece to honor my grandmother, Aimee held the space that allowed me to honor my grandmother's memory with respect and truth. She inspired me to dig deeper and helped me understand the true value of the traditional metalsmithing techniques as a form of artistic expression. 
