North Carolina Artist, Sterling Edwards
I'm often asked what inspires me to paint. Typically I answer in just two words, “our world”. I cannot look out of a window or walk down a street without being inspired to paint. Most people think that an artist spends a great deal of time searching their soul or looking for that one scene that is remarkable beyond belief to find the inspiration for a painting. I couldn't disagree more. I have spent my entire life outdoors. When I was younger I canoed the rivers of southern Missouri in the Ozark Mountains and camped in the Great Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. I still recall as though it were yesterday walking out of a tent on a cool and foggy morning and smelling the campfire. Except for the crackle of the fire the only other sounds that I could hear were the trickling sounds of water rushing over rocks in the trout stream nearby. The sunlight was just beginning to burn through the fog in the woods and shafts of sunlight created an atmosphere that was truly spiritual. It was all locked in to my memory and is accessed often. I began painting when I was twelve and took oil painting classes in Kansas City, Missouri. There a lot of rules and technical skills that had to be learned if I was to be successful in painting my ideas. I soaked it up like a sponge and spent as many hours painting as I did playing with my friends. Even at that early age I realized that painting and creating art was a lifestyle. For years I painted with oils and then began experimenting with other mediums such as pastels and acrylics. I learned how to look at things that others never pay attention to. The way light creates cast shadows on the ground that rolls and moves with the terrain, subtle differences in the color and value of objects, the strength and majesty of light, and so much more. No longer is a tree merely a tree. Now it's a conglomeration of shapes and values, colors, and hues, textures and design elements. Depending on the style in which you paint, any tree can be a wonderful work of art. I was totally hooked on art and was provided with an endless source of inspiration with our natural world.
In 1985 I tried my hand at watercolors. They seemed so fresh and lively with transparent qualities the other mediums did not possess. I learned very quickly that they were the toughest medium to learn and even tougher to master. At that time I was a realist and painted every blade of grass, every leaf and branch on a tree and every crack in a piece of wood. I would often spend weeks and sometimes months on just one painting. The end result of my efforts was a painting that I now refer to as my glorified photographs. They were extremely photographic in nature and very technical in execution. It was a good experience and forced me to learn total control of my brushes and learn a multitude of watercolor techniques. In spite of this however; my work lacked the personality and spontaneity that first attracted me to watercolors. They didn't possess the luminosity and freshness that I admired in the works of others. I wanted my paintings to make a statement and express to the world how I felt about a particular subject, not just replicate what nature had already presented. At this time photorealism was the popular trend in art and I was doing well selling my work in galleries. From a business standpoint it was suicidal to change my style and learn to paint loose when I was doing well as a photorealist. I had to make the change if I was to truly feel fulfilled as an artist. In 1987 I attended a watercolor workshop in Asheville, NC with the late Zoltan Szabo. I was amazed to watch him paint an entire full sheet (22” x 30”) watercolor painting in an hour and a half. Not only was his style fresh and loose but quick. I knew at that time that I needed to learn his style of painting which consisted of using mostly large flat brushes. This workshop eventually led to a sixteen year friendship/mentor relationship with Zoltan. He saw instantly that I was a serious student. Over a period of many years Zoltan taught me to see shapes and values as the primary building blocks for a painting rather than the fine detail that I had relied on for so many years. I don't mind telling you that it was an arduous process putting down the little brushes and retraining myself to painting with predominantly larger and flat brushes. There was a lot of trial and error as I worked through mountains of paper and countless hours of agonizing attempts to loosen up and paint with expressive brushwork and stylized designs. Eventually I reached a point in my career where I was comfortable with a looser style and I once again began seeing success in the galleries. I decided to open my own art gallery in Winston-Salem, NC from 1993. To help offset the expenses of the gallery I began teaching Thursday night art classes in watercolor. As my reputation as a teacher grew I was eventually invited to teach a few weekend workshops in the surrounding communities. Before I knew what was happening I was invited to teach workshops in Ontario and across the United States. This was the result of word of mouth testimonials. The gallery eventually fell by the way side as I spent more and more time away from home teaching. It's surprising how well connected and communicative the art world has become. I attribute much of this to the internet. My web site has been a priceless tool in my art career. In 2001 I was contacted by the editors of Watercolor Magic Magazine about my inclusion in an article titled “Ones to watch”. This was a major breakthrough as I was now in an international magazine as well as being on the workshop circuit of artists who travel and teach. I also found that my paintings were gaining in popularity in the galleries. Over the next several years I produced a series of instructional DVD's that focused on my style of painting transparent watercolors. That was just the beginning though. I soon designed and produced my own watercolor palette and a signature set of watercolor brushes that are marketed internationally through an art supply distribution company. In 2007 I was elected a signature membership with the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. They are an international organization that recognizes those artists who have mastered transparent watercolor. I am very proud to be one of only a half dozen artists in the US that have the honor of putting the initials CSPWC after their signature on their paintings. For the last few years I have began painting large acrylic abstract paintings that incorporate many of the design and technical elements that I use in my watercolor paintings. These have proven very popular with the galleries and allow me an opportunity to further express my love and appreciation for this beautiful world we live in. Currently I have work in seven galleries throughout the eastern US and Canada. When I am not on the road teaching workshops I enjoy spending time in my home studio in Hendersonville, North Carolina in the beautiful Smokey Mountains. I feel very fortunate to have fallen into my life as an artist. What I failed to mention is that much of this has happened after a twenty year career in law enforcement. I've seen the worst that mankind has to offer and the best that nature has to offer. I chose nature.