Sutherland Studios

A little bio

I have been a graphic designer since 1988, after completing the first graphic design course ever held in Canberra. Yes, back in the olden days, when computers were only just edging into the design arena. I started in web design and site management in 1995, back when we coded everything by hand in HTML and animated rainbow rules existed.

Puzzle writing is something that has long fascinated me. I started to figure out how to create puzzles of all kinds, including cryptic crosswords, in the late 1980s. I am syndicated through Auspac Media, if you want to include some of my wide variety of puzzles in your publication.

There are 6 'big books' to my name, and 5 puzzle books for kids as well. I have written 4 books in the For Dummies series, and 2 patient guides which I self-published.

I have built my non-fiction editing skills over many years, and completed advanced training in book indexing with the Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers in 2011.

I have worked at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare since 2021, in metadata, editing, graphic design, web site management, and data visualisation.

Data viz is the perfect combination of graphics and data, and I am a bit obsessed with it. I currently work in the data visualisation team at the AIHW, mostly using Tableau and Adobe Illustrator. I'm also in the web team.

I don't take on much client work at the moment. However, it's worth dropping me an email to see if I have the capacity to work with you on your project.

When I'm not working, I enjoy reading, watercolours and sketching, making cold process soap, café dates with friends and family, playing games (mainly Cards Against Humanity, it must be said), and hanging out with my budgies. They have an Instagram account. Everybudgie needs one. Or so they tell me.

Denise Sutherland

Gallery

Here is a small sampling of some of my work over the years. I considered scientific illustration as a career way back when I studied biology at the Australian National University. In the past I have created, exhibited and taught collage and papier mâché, exhibited and sold work in various shows and galleries in Australia and the States, and created artwork and illustrations on commission. Nowadays I mainly work in watercolour, ink, pencil, and pixels (using Procreate on an iPad).