David Lloyd Blackwood was born in Wesleyville, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland, 1941, a descendent of fishing skippers and sealing captains. Not surprisingly, from his earliest days, the sea was a strong influence. He decided to become an artist and, aided by a Newfoundland Centennial R. Government Scholarship, studied drawing and painting at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. In 1963, he graduated with honours and received several awards, including a travelling scholarship to visit major museums and galleries in the United States. In the same year, he was appointed Art Master at the Trinity College School in Port Hope.

Between 1964 and 1969, he worked independently out of a studio on Spadina Avenue in Toronto. Between 1969 and 1975, he was Artist-in-Residence at Erindale College of the University of Toronto. His subject matter is entirely inspired by the tall tales of fishermen, which he had absorbed since early childhood, the relationships between people and their environment, life and death at sea. His focus is the portrayal of the inherent strength of his subjects, particularly in his portraits.

Blackwood is considered a virtuoso etcher and besides producing drawings and prints, he also did monotypes, a medium that produces a single print. He used glass plates painted on in oil and usually Japanese paper to pull prints. The result is a work with the translucent, washy feel of a watercolour but with the richness of an oil painting. Many of these monotypes are garden scenes, floral studies, and interiors. David Blackwood has received many Canadian and international awards, and his works are represented in various Canadian, European and American collections. He lives in Port Hope, Ontario.