Born in Wesleyville in 1941, David Blackwood grew up in a maritime community keenly aware of the stories and accomplishments of the seafaring generations he is descended from. His first major print series, "The Lost Party" — copperplate etchings inspired by the S.S Newfoundland sealing disaster of 1914 — established both the style of his powerful imagery, which drew on his heritage, as well as his reputation as a highly skilled artist. He went on to create works that would eventually join the collections of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Ufizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, among many others. He has exhibited extensively since the 1960s, both internationally and throughout Canada.

Blackwood graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1963 and became Art Master at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario. In 1969 he became Artist-in-Residence at the University of Toronto’s Erindale College, where he established the College’s first art gallery. It was renamed in his honour in 1992, and Blackwood endowed it with his collection of Canadian prints.

Blackwood was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1993 and to the Order of Ontario in 2002. He has been awarded several honourary degrees, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002). He has also been the subject of several books, a National Film Board documentary, and a recent CBC television documentary hosted by Rex Murphy.

David Blackwood lives and works in Port Hope, Ontario, where he paints in watercolours—a long-time interest—and egg tempera, and continues to produce new etchings. He also maintains a studio in Wesleyville, Newfoundland, and returns to his home province to work at least once every year.