James H. Henderson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1871. He trained as a lithographer and studied art at the Glasgow School of Art evening classes. After moving to London, England, in 1894, he earned his living as a commercial artist and painted in his spare time. In 1909, he emigrated to Winnipeg, Canada, where he worked as a commercial artist. He later moved briefly to Regina before settling in the Qu'Appelle Valley in 1915. Here, he painted landscapes of the surrounding area and portraits of the Indians who lived there. He also painted portraits of other prominent Saskatchewan people. In 1951, he was awarded an honorary LLD from the University of Saskatchewan. He died in Regina in 1951.
