Black Heritage Jean Baptiste Set by Thomas Blackshear

Thomas Blackshear Art Gallery

Gallery updated on Tuesday, June 16, 2026

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