C. Leslie Smith at the Shops of Cedar Point, Allentown, recently honored Robin Kostolsky of Cetronia as its artist of the month.

Kostolsky’s sculptures were on display for viewing and for sale in the store during July.

A “Meet the Artist” reception was held July 28 for friends and family to enjoy refreshments and view Kostolsky’s art.

The Press spoke to Kostolsky about her passion for art that started more than 40 years ago.

“I studied art in high school,” she explained.

“I chose to go into nursing because I didn’t want to depend on my art to make a living because I didn’t have enough confidence in myself.”

Kostolsky attended the Baum School of Art when she was younger but stuck to drawing and painting.

“I went there in grade school,” Kostolsky said.

“My parents sent me there because they knew I had some talent. But I was painting and drawing. I wasn’t sculpting yet.”

After finishing nursing school and securing her first job, Kostolsky returned to the Baum School in her spare time.

“After I got my first nursing job, I took a sculpture class and felt like ‘I know how to do this.’ It’s almost like I felt like I did it before,” Kostolsky said. “I had an excellent teacher and I went there for close to 30 years.

I had the same teacher the whole time: Richard Lieberman. He taught me a lot.”

Kostolsky, who has a studio in her home, would sculpt after working as a registered nurse all day.

“I used to work 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. and then I’d come home and be up for hours,” she said. “It’s a very complicated process. I don’t work in earth clay. It’s called plastilina. It has a consistency of earth clay but it never hardens.

“I have things I’ve left for years and I can still get back to it.

“But once I am done with it, I have to make a mold off it. That is the hard part. For me the sculpting is easy, the mold making is very difficult.

The sculptures that were on display at C. Leslie Smith were made of cast stone, painted and set with metallic patina.

“All of these are cast out of stone. It’s like a powdered stone and you buy it like plaster,” Kostolsky said. “Once I have the mold, I mix this powdered stone and pour it into the mold and in less than an hour it solidifies but it is a little denser and stronger than plaster.”

Kostolsky finds inspiration in photographs, pictures and memories.

“With some things I get an idea from a picture or photograph I took myself. [And] then other ones I just put together,” she said.

Kostolsky’s sculptures are full of detail, emotion and passion.

“I’m kind of detail oriented,” Kostolsky said. “Now I’m thinking maybe I should go in a different direction and not be quite so precise.”

Kostolsky has entered her sculptures in shows, including the Art Alliance Show and also put them on display in Emmaus and Bethlehem stores.

“I’m trying to decide what direction to go in,” she said. “I did a show in Catasauqua at the George Taylor Home. That was the first I did since I retired last year.

“I won an award last spring in the Lehigh Art Alliance show.”

In addition to entering pieces in shows or putting them on display, Kostolsky also sells her sculptures. A few have been sold at C. Leslie Smith.

“Over the years, I have sold many pieces,” she said.

C. Leslie Smith has been honoring artists monthly since its move to the Shops of Cedar Point in 2015.

Proceeds from sold pieces during the month go directly to organizations such as the Baum School of Art or Camelot for Children.