Black Heritage Jean Baptiste Set by Thomas Blackshear

Thomas Blackshear Art Gallery

Gallery updated on Tuesday, June 9, 2026

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Thomas Blackshear portrait

THOMAS BLACKSHEAR II, the son of an Air Force captain, was born in Waco, Texas, and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. "Drawing was all I ever liked to do," he says. "While all the other guys were playing baseball or basketball, I was in my house, drawing." He pursued an interest in art throughout high school, securing a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago. After a year there, he transferred to the nearby Academy of Art. While finishing his college education, he was recruited by Hallmark Cards and later became the apprentice of illustrator Mark English. <br><BR>
Blackshear settled in Kansas City, where he became head illustrator at the prestigious Godbold/Richter Studio. A year later, he began a prosperous freelance career, illustrating many advertisements, several U.S. Postal Service stamp collections - one called "Black Heritage," another on classic movies, and a third on jazz musicians - and several series of Hamilton Group collector s plates featuring scenes from Star Wars, Star Trek, and The Wizard of Oz. Although he was successful, he was dissatisfied and decided to pursue a career in fine art.<br><BR>


Blackshear has received many awards for his artwork, including the Society of Illustrators coveted Gold Medal. He was profiled on The Living Canvas, an art magazine of the airwaves that was shown on public television, and he has been featured on the Ebony/Jet Showcase and The 700 Club, and in The Saturday Evening Post. An exhibit of his original works for the Black Heritage stamp series premiered in 1992 at the Smithsonian s National Museum of American History and subsequently toured the United States.<br><BR>


Browse and enjoy the great African American Art work from one of Today's most collected African American Artists, Thomas Blackshear..

Thomas Blackshear Current Portfolio

Black Heritage Jean Baptiste Set Classic Movie Monsters CATCHING A BLESSING BOY HAND SIGNED ARTIST PROOF Watchers In The Night (canvas Edition) With Forgiven Witness Cards Star Trek Mr. Spock 25th Anniversary Plate Beauty And The Beast The Sound Of Victory Next Generation Crew - Lt. Worf Next Generation Crew - Geordi Laforge Golden Breeze Anniversary Edition Zip Doodle Innocent Wonders Swan Song Intimacy (serigraph) Original Release Star Trek Collector Plate 25th Anniversary Star Wars Series - Luke And Darth Vader Star Trek Captain Kirk 25th Anniversary Plate Next Generation Crew - Dr. Crusher Little Pilot Adorable Boy Hand Signed Artist Proof The Watcher Intimacy Anniversary Edition Number 2 Indian Paint Brush Dinky Toot Innocent Wonders Golden Breeze Framed Anniversary Edition Star Trek Scotty 25th Anniversary Plate Catching A Blessing Artist Proof (set of 2) Star Trek Dr. Mccoy 25th Anniversary Plate Beauty And The Beast Next Generation Crew - Counselor Troi Now What? Lithograph For You CATCHING A BLESSING GIRL HAND SIGNED ARTIST PROOF 1988 Wizard Of Oz Star Wars Series - R2d2 And Wicket Night In Day - Unframed Print Artist Proof Preparing to Sound the Alarm Lithograph Pinkie Poo Innocent Wonders Artist Signed Texas Chillin Lithograph Next Generation Crew - Data The Vessel Little Pilot Adorable Girl Hand Signed Artist Proof Rustic Decorative Stand Liberty Print Only - Limited Edition Forgiven Beauty And The Beast TWINKY WINK CLOWN James Cagney Star Trek Hikaru Sulu 25th Anniversary Plate Star Trek Riker - The Next Generation 1988 Wizard Of Oz If I Were King Of The Forest Awakening Star Trek Picard - The Next Generation 1988 Wizard Of Oz The Great And Powerful Oz Angel At Rest 1988 Wizard Of Oz We're Off To See The Wizard Super Bowl XXXVII Commemorative Poster Liberty Poster Print Du Sable-Commemorative Pane Magnificent Mare 1988 Wizard Of Oz Dorothy Meets The Scarecrow Star Trek Lt. Uhura 25th Anniversary Plate Little Pilot Adorable Boy And Girl Artist Proof Hand Signed By Thomas Blackshear Angel At Rest Artist Proof Hand Signed By Thomas Blackshear Waggletag Intimacy (serigraph) Unframed Original Release Artist Proof Liberty Framed Print - Limited Edition Wizard Of Oz - A Glimpse Of The Munchkins Beauty And The Beast - Unframed Print Ready For Battle