Awakening by Thomas Blackshear

Thomas Blackshear Art Gallery

Gallery updated on Friday, June 19, 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 Du Sable-Commemorative Pane Next Generation Crew - Data CATCHING A BLESSING BOY HAND SIGNED ARTIST PROOF Star Trek Dr. Mccoy 25th Anniversary Plate Liberty Framed Print - Limited Edition Waggletag The Vessel Black Heritage Jean Baptiste Set Classic Movie Monsters 1988 Wizard Of Oz Pinkie Poo Innocent Wonders Artist Signed TWINKY WINK CLOWN Next Generation Crew - Lt. Worf Next Generation Crew - Counselor Troi Swan Song Star Trek Captain Kirk 25th Anniversary Plate Preparing to Sound the Alarm Lithograph Ready For Battle Star Trek Scotty 25th Anniversary Plate Intimacy (serigraph) Original Release Star Trek Hikaru Sulu 25th Anniversary Plate Watchers In The Night (canvas Edition) With Forgiven Witness Cards Super Bowl XXXVII Commemorative Poster Star Wars Series - Luke And Darth Vader Star Trek Lt. Uhura 25th Anniversary Plate Liberty Poster Print Star Trek Mr. Spock 25th Anniversary Plate Liberty Print Only - Limited Edition Texas Chillin Lithograph Night In Day - Unframed Print Artist Proof Beauty And The Beast - Unframed Print Angel At Rest Wizard Of Oz - A Glimpse Of The Munchkins 1988 Wizard Of Oz If I Were King Of The Forest Rustic Decorative Stand Golden Breeze Framed Anniversary Edition Now What? Lithograph 1988 Wizard Of Oz Dorothy Meets The Scarecrow Beauty And The Beast Forgiven Zip Doodle Innocent Wonders Star Trek Picard - The Next Generation Star Trek Riker - The Next Generation 1988 Wizard Of Oz We're Off To See The Wizard Catching A Blessing Artist Proof (set of 2) Next Generation Crew - Geordi Laforge The Sound Of Victory Intimacy (serigraph) Unframed Original Release Artist Proof The Watcher Little Pilot Adorable Boy And Girl Artist Proof Hand Signed By Thomas Blackshear For You Angel At Rest Artist Proof Hand Signed By Thomas Blackshear Beauty And The Beast Indian Paint Brush Star Wars Series - R2d2 And Wicket Dinky Toot Innocent Wonders Little Pilot Adorable Boy Hand Signed Artist Proof Next Generation Crew - Dr. Crusher Magnificent Mare CATCHING A BLESSING GIRL HAND SIGNED ARTIST PROOF 1988 Wizard Of Oz The Great And Powerful Oz Star Trek Collector Plate 25th Anniversary Intimacy Anniversary Edition Number 2 James Cagney Beauty And The Beast Little Pilot Adorable Girl Hand Signed Artist Proof Golden Breeze Anniversary Edition