Dennis Sutherland was born in 1945 and was educated in the Edmonton public school system.  He attended the Banff School of Fine Art for the last two summers of high school and was lucky enough to receive one of two in North America full-return scholarships for the last year.  From then until 1968 he studied painting and graphics at the Alberta College of Art. 

He drifted for a number of years, doing old jobs such as personal counselling at the Hull home, teaching painting throughout Alberta, driving truck.  At the same time he was drawing and painting, having one-man sold-out shows, becoming better known as an artist.  He then applied for a year's scholarship from the Alberta government to attend the University of Calgary.  Dennis was married to Joyce in 1973, and their daughter Robin was born in l977 and son Patrick in 1979.

From 1972 until 1975 Dennis attended the U of A, faculty of fine art, graduating with a B.F.A. Honours.  During this time he also taught painting, design and history at Mount Royal College.  From 1975 until 1991 he worked as a graphics cameraman and silk screen printer for the Glenbow Museum, and from 1992 until 1994 he was the curatorial assistant (with no curator) for Fort Calgary.

In the summer of 1994 Dennis decided to return to his first loves of drawing and painting, and he has not looked back.