Born in West Yorkshire, England, David immigrated to Canada in 1977. In 1985 and 1986 he studied Graphic Design at George Brown College, Toronto, and pursued a career in the world of commercial art. Illustration quickly became the primary focus of his work, book covers mainly, for publishing firms such as Penguin and Viking Press. Despite early successes, Ward left commercial art behind in October 1988 and moved to the artist colony of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. There he spent much of his time at the two local art schools, Las Bellas Artes and the now famous Instituto Allende, where Toni Onley studied in the fifties. A winter in Mexico resulted in numerous paintings (west coast landscapes) and a collection of short stories.

The artist's twenty-seven year career has been shaped by his extensive travels. He is known primarily for painting the more remote corners of North America: from the windswept coastline of the British Columbia to maritime outposts in the east, the Canadian arctic to the American Southwest. Today, his paintings depict a much wider range of subjects and often explore mythological themes. His works can be found in numerous private, corporate and public collections, among them:

David is represented in Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary by Loch Gallery