Black Heritage Jean Baptiste Set by Thomas Blackshear

Thomas Blackshear Art Gallery

Gallery updated on Friday, June 12, 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 Beauty And The Beast Intimacy (serigraph) Original Release Ready For Battle 1988 Wizard Of Oz The Great And Powerful Oz Little Pilot Adorable Boy Hand Signed Artist Proof Classic Movie Monsters Liberty Framed Print - Limited Edition 1988 Wizard Of Oz Dorothy Meets The Scarecrow Little Pilot Adorable Girl Hand Signed Artist Proof Beauty And The Beast Awakening Preparing to Sound the Alarm Lithograph Next Generation Crew - Data Catching A Blessing Artist Proof (set of 2) Angel At Rest Artist Proof Hand Signed By Thomas Blackshear Star Trek Lt. Uhura 25th Anniversary Plate Indian Paint Brush James Cagney Star Trek Collector Plate 25th Anniversary Angel At Rest Now What? Lithograph Star Trek Scotty 25th Anniversary Plate Next Generation Crew - Geordi Laforge Star Trek Riker - The Next Generation Liberty Poster Print For You Swan Song TWINKY WINK CLOWN Beauty And The Beast Watchers In The Night (canvas Edition) With Forgiven Witness Cards 1988 Wizard Of Oz Pinkie Poo Innocent Wonders Artist Signed Star Wars Series - R2d2 And Wicket The Watcher Wizard Of Oz - A Glimpse Of The Munchkins Golden Breeze Framed Anniversary Edition Texas Chillin Lithograph Beauty And The Beast - Unframed Print CATCHING A BLESSING GIRL HAND SIGNED ARTIST PROOF Rustic Decorative Stand Star Trek Captain Kirk 25th Anniversary Plate The Sound Of Victory Next Generation Crew - Dr. Crusher Star Trek Hikaru Sulu 25th Anniversary Plate 1988 Wizard Of Oz We're Off To See The Wizard Next Generation Crew - Counselor Troi Forgiven Magnificent Mare 1988 Wizard Of Oz If I Were King Of The Forest Intimacy Anniversary Edition Number 2 CATCHING A BLESSING BOY HAND SIGNED ARTIST PROOF Night In Day - Unframed Print Artist Proof Dinky Toot Innocent Wonders Waggletag Golden Breeze Anniversary Edition Star Trek Dr. Mccoy 25th Anniversary Plate Next Generation Crew - Lt. Worf Super Bowl XXXVII Commemorative Poster Star Trek Mr. Spock 25th Anniversary Plate Du Sable-Commemorative Pane The Vessel Liberty Print Only - Limited Edition Little Pilot Adorable Boy And Girl Artist Proof Hand Signed By Thomas Blackshear Intimacy (serigraph) Unframed Original Release Artist Proof Star Wars Series - Luke And Darth Vader Star Trek Picard - The Next Generation Zip Doodle Innocent Wonders