James Cagney by Thomas Blackshear

Thomas Blackshear Art Gallery

Gallery updated on Sunday, June 14, 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

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