Black Heritage Jean Baptiste Set by Thomas Blackshear

Thomas Blackshear Art Gallery

Gallery updated on Tuesday, June 9, 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 1988 Wizard Of Oz If I Were King Of The Forest Next Generation Crew - Geordi Laforge Little Pilot Adorable Boy Hand Signed Artist Proof Next Generation Crew - Data 1988 Wizard Of Oz CATCHING A BLESSING BOY HAND SIGNED ARTIST PROOF Night In Day - Unframed Print Artist Proof Du Sable-Commemorative Pane 1988 Wizard Of Oz We're Off To See The Wizard For You Star Trek Scotty 25th Anniversary Plate 1988 Wizard Of Oz Dorothy Meets The Scarecrow Star Trek Riker - The Next Generation The Vessel Little Pilot Adorable Girl Hand Signed Artist Proof Preparing to Sound the Alarm Lithograph The Watcher CATCHING A BLESSING GIRL HAND SIGNED ARTIST PROOF Super Bowl XXXVII Commemorative Poster Swan Song Beauty And The Beast Waggletag Wizard Of Oz - A Glimpse Of The Munchkins Catching A Blessing Artist Proof (set of 2) Awakening James Cagney TWINKY WINK CLOWN Intimacy (serigraph) Unframed Original Release Artist Proof Beauty And The Beast Next Generation Crew - Lt. Worf Zip Doodle Innocent Wonders Intimacy (serigraph) Original Release Star Trek Picard - The Next Generation Star Trek Dr. Mccoy 25th Anniversary Plate Texas Chillin Lithograph Star Trek Lt. Uhura 25th Anniversary Plate Next Generation Crew - Dr. Crusher Ready For Battle Beauty And The Beast Intimacy Anniversary Edition Number 2 Beauty And The Beast - Unframed Print Rustic Decorative Stand Magnificent Mare Star Wars Series - R2d2 And Wicket Next Generation Crew - Counselor Troi Golden Breeze Framed Anniversary Edition Star Trek Captain Kirk 25th Anniversary Plate Star Trek Mr. Spock 25th Anniversary Plate Classic Movie Monsters 1988 Wizard Of Oz The Great And Powerful Oz Star Trek Hikaru Sulu 25th Anniversary Plate Dinky Toot Innocent Wonders Watchers In The Night (canvas Edition) With Forgiven Witness Cards Angel At Rest Artist Proof Hand Signed By Thomas Blackshear Forgiven Liberty Print Only - Limited Edition Angel At Rest Liberty Framed Print - Limited Edition Liberty Poster Print Golden Breeze Anniversary Edition Indian Paint Brush Now What? Lithograph Little Pilot Adorable Boy And Girl Artist Proof Hand Signed By Thomas Blackshear The Sound Of Victory Star Wars Series - Luke And Darth Vader Pinkie Poo Innocent Wonders Artist Signed