Artisan creates art along city sidewalks.

The artwork of Stanley Koberski lines city streets as the facades of brownstone buildings on Sutton Place, the interiors of retail stores in Herald square, the chimneys of a Connecticut mansion belonging to a well-known socialite and countless office buildings in the tri-state area.

For more than 40 years Koberski has been a brickfacer - most of that time with Garden State Brickface, Windows and Siding capable of resurfacing every imaginable exterior surface to recreate and preserve the original look of a building, or dress it up with a completely new face.

Throughout the past five decades, Koberski has used various formulas of cement and colored pigments to recreate the look of brick, stone, masonry and wood on buildings tall and short, in family neighborhoods to fashionable townhouses to exclusive estates found throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland and Fairfield counties.

"I started my career in the building trades as a plasterer and eventually learned the artistry of brickfacing," said Koberski. "But to really learn how to duplicate an image in cement, I went off and watched old-time craftsmen work. I spent time with stone masons, watching them work. I would study the stones they used, picking them up one by one to understand their feel, texture and how they fit together to form a wall."

"It was a tedious process, but I came away with a better understanding of how to sculpt that same look in cement," he said. And through this process of watching and getting the "feel" of the stones, the artisan side of Koberski emerged.

Through his insights into textures, his artistic bents led him to tinker with cement formulas that resulted in better bonding capabilities and color retention.

"Every surface look requires a unique adaptation of the cement formula," said Koberski. "We can recreate the look of a brownstone for the exterior or a classic look for the interior surfaces of a hallway. It all starts out the same way, with a galvanized steel lath, a type of metal mesh, being attached to a surface and then applying layers of cement. It's at this stage the artwork begins, different techniques for different looks."

And make no mistake, it is artwork. Classic architectural stone work, commonplace years ago but too costly to duplicate today, is re-created through the brickfacing process and the meticulous design work of Garden State Brickface craftsmen.

Koberski has worked on the restoration of several elite Manhattan townhouses. "Each project was different, and often reflected the personality of the individual," he said. "When people own a unique residence, they can have some very particular ideas of what they want done in a restoration or renovation project."

"We have a steady flow of clients who come to us with photos or drawings of an old architectural design. Sometimes its something historic or just a look they like, and they want it recreated on their home or commercial building," said Larry Landes, chief operating officer of the remodeling company. "And that's when we turn to Stanley. He's involved in both the design and application process of these jobs."

"But, in addition to these unique and unusual assignments our company undertakes, Stanley oversees all projects of the company. He's constantly checking the quality of our workmanship, production schedules and workforce needs of every job. Every customer of Garden State Brickface big or small - receives Stanley's personal attention," Landes stressed.

"Stanley possesses a unique building trade," said Landes. "And he's passing down his years of experience to younger workers as a teacher in 'Brickface University,' our Company's in-house training program. He's giving them a trade that they will have forever."

"At Garden State Brickface, we view 'Brickface University' as our investment in our employees," said David Moore, president and CEO. "Investing in our own people is simply good business, and will help us have talented people like Stanley Koberski for the future."

"Stanley possesses a very unique craft in this modern world," Landes continued. "Many people still yearn for an 'Old World' look in their homes, even as we approach the 21st Century. It's nice to know that Stanley and his crew are around to offer it to them."