Many people in Gravesend would recognise the distinctive work of internationally-acclaimed artist Anthony Blackman, without perhaps recognising his name.

Mr Blackman, 81, who recently died after a battle with colon cancer, was inspired by the hustle and bustle of river life in Gravesend, winning the hearts of art lovers in the town with his paintings of boats, ships and riverside landmarks such as St Andrew’s Church.

Anthony Nelson Blackman, ARCA, died on July 16 and is survived by his wife Christine and sons Stephen, David and Christopher. His son John, died in a motorcycle accident in 2011.

Born and bred in Gravesend, Mr Blackman, who grew up in the Denton area, gained his NDD, specialising in painting, at the Gravesend School of Art, in Overcliffe, before graduating from the Royal College of Art in London.

It was as a student in Gravesend that Mr Blackman’s widow, Chris, believes her husband’s love of the river first developed.

Mrs Blackman said: “Anthony told me that there was a painting studio at Gravesend School of Art which looked over the river and he could see Tilbury, and the working river with the barges and bawley boats. I think that’s what inspired him.

“His favourite places to sketch were Bawley Bay and St Andrew’s Church.”

In the early 1980s Mr Blackman was commissioned by Karl Fanning, the captain of a container ship moored off Gravesend, to paint a portrait of his vessel after the skipper stumbled across the artist’s gallery while walking in the town.

Capt Fanning was impressed with his work and more commissions followed, leading to Mr Blackman holding an exhibition in the ship’s home port of Galveston, Texas, where he has held a fan base ever since.

Such was the appreciation for his work that in 1984 Mr Blackman was made an honorary citizen of Galveston and given a key to the city.

However, his wife explained there was only ever one place he called home.

She said: “He lived here most of life and he was passionate about the Gravesend river.

“He had the American connection as well and did many London river paintings but he just liked living in Gravesend.”

Mr Blackman also enjoyed a flair for teaching, working at Southfields School, Singlewell Road, before teaching at the Sir Samuel Baker School, Gulu, Uganda, in the 1960s, leaving the school with the highest art exam results in Africa.

After returning from Africa, Mr Blackman taught at the Gordon School for Girls, Lower Higham Road, where he met his wife.

Retiring from teaching in 1979, the grandfather-of-five opened galleries in Berkley Crescent and in Parrock Street, although he did not have a gallery in recent years, his hunger for art never dulled.

Mrs Blackman said: “Right up until virtually the day he died he was always planning pictures.

“When he got the final prognosis on the cancer he was quite upset because he said ‘I’ve got so many paintings left in me’.

“I can still see him in his chair planning, he was designing a stained glass window for Chalk church.”

The family is hoping to organise a retrospective exhibition of Mr Blackman’s work next year with Gravesend Arts Council.

Mr Blackman’s funeral will take place at St Mary’s Church, Chalk, at 2pm on Friday, August 9.

Family flowers only but donations to EllenorLions Hospices, Northfleet, or Cancer Research UK will be welcomed.

Forward to Co-operative Funeralcare, 38 Windmill Street, Gravesend.