Preparing to Sound the Alarm Lithograph by Thomas Blackshear

Thomas Blackshear Art Gallery

Gallery updated on Tuesday, June 16, 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

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