Sterling Edwards is an internationally acclaimed watercolor and acrylic artist, instructor, and author. He is a native of Kansas City, Missouri and has been a resident of North Carolina since 1973. Following a twenty-year career in Law Enforcement and Fire Fighting, Sterling began a second career in 1993 to pursue his passion for painting. Although he began his art career as a photo-realist oil painter, he has since evolved into an interpretive artist and has received worldwide accolades for his stylized and abstract expressionist watermedia creations.  

In 2007, Sterling was awarded signature membership status in the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC) and in 2010, he was awarded signature membership status in the Transparent Watercolor Society of America (TWSA). 

In 2015 he was awarded the designation of a "Bonafide Whiskey Painter” and honored with a lifetime signature membership in the internationally renowned Whiskey Painters of America (WPA) as one of only 150 members worldwide.

In 2016, Sterling was designated a Biographical Listee with the Marquis Who's Who in America and in 2026 he was elevated to the "Top Artists" category of the "Top Professionals Series" of the Marquis Who's Who in America. 

In 2017 he was awarded signature membership status in the National Watercolor Society, (NWS). 

In 2025, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, one of Sterling's watercolor paintings was accepted into an international art competition of the Royal Collection Trust of His Majesty, King Charles III, one of the most prestigious art collections in the world. His painting is in the permanent collection in the library at Windsor Castle.

Also in 2025, Sterling accepted an invitation from the Watercolor Society of Romania (I.W.S. Romania), which is a branch of the International Watercolor Society (I.W.S.), to exhibit his art on the "Wall of International Watercolor Masters" at The Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania.

In 2025, Sterling was also awarded Charter Member status in the North American Watercolor Society.  

Sterling is the author of the best-selling North Light book, “Creating Luminous Watercolor Landscapes, a Four Step Process” published in 2010 and is a featured artist in numerous other books and international publications. His award winning watercolor paintings are in numerous private and corporate collections worldwide. Sterling works with his wife and business partner, Diane Edwards, from their home studio and office in the town of Lewisville, North Carolina.