[6] Dorland first gained attention with his paintings of suburbia which drew heavily on nostalgia from his days as a teen growing up in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
These paintings of bush parties, fist fights and wooded areas on the edges of suburbia were characterized by fluorescent under-paintings and thick passages of impasto.
[7] Dorland's landscapes from this time depict forests with traces of human contact including graffiti and litter.
[7] In 2013, Dorland exhibited his work at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, alongside paintings by artists from the Group of Seven.
[11] Dorland's most recent work has focused on themes of the psychology and vulnerability of landscapes and the environment.