Awakening by Thomas Blackshear

Thomas Blackshear Art Gallery

Gallery updated on Wednesday, June 10, 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

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