Broken tractor or work of art? Industrial artist's murals transform rusty structures By Candace Nelson, Vidette Reporter - July 21, 2005 Next time the skies are gray, and you’re feeling blue, you might want to follow the cooling towers to the clouds and forest. Artist Kim Sterling has painted three tanks at Satsop Development Park, giving them a warm, nature feel. Using the natural landscape as inspiration, Sterling painted a forest scene on one tank, and a beach on another. The tanks are tied together with fluffy white clouds. “The idea is to make this human, not an industrial park,” he said. The eastern most of the tanks is the one with the beach scene mural painted on it. Sterling joked that he got it backwards. Continually delayed by rain, the project is now being completed thanks to a stretch of warm, sunny days. Sterling, who grew up in Washington, now lives in California. Satsop CEO Tami Garrow discovered him through his brother, who does Satsop’s Web site. Sterling is an industrial artist, who takes “broken tractors” and turns them into art. He has previously designed an artistic skating rink, swimming pools, sailboats and a museum. He said he once pulled a broken tractor out in front of a house. He was criticized for displaying a broken tractor and calling it art. “The difference is just your point of view,” Sterling said. Along with Sterling’s splash of color, a hanging garden has been planted to give the industrial park more of a community park feel. When the plants grow, they will hang over the building they are planted on, covering the planters. Sterling said he would also like to see some grass planted behind the tanks and picnic tables installed. The art project is being completed in small steps. Garrow commissioned the project, with a goal of making the never-operable nuclear park look less scary. She said the project is being done with minimal money and maximum creativity. The next project Sterling has in mind is a series of concrete walls, the beginning of a never-finished building. He said they look like a broken tractor to the average person, but he sees a sculpture. With a variety of colors, he's like to make it into a sculpture suitable for picnicking beside. Expect to see the three tanks project complete later in the next week, as weather allows. Sterling said one day he's like to paint the cooling towers, but he must first get used to the ideal of hanging off the massive structure. Reprinted with permission from The Vidette, Montesano, Washington