Thomas Blackshear II

Bad to the Bone

2022

Thomas Blackshear graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1977. He began his career at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri, where he had the opportunity to apprentice with renowned illustrator Mark English. By 1980, Blackshear was the head illustrator at Godbold/Richter Studio. In 1982, he transitioned to freelance work and has been self-employed ever since. Blackshear is celebrated for his dramatic lighting and emotional depth. His versatile portfolio includes illustrations for advertising, books, calendars, collectors’ plates, greeting cards, magazines, postage stamps, and national posters. Notably, he has illustrated 30 U.S. postage stamps and a commemorative stamp book titled I Have a Dream. His collectors’ plate illustrations feature iconic franchises such as Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, Star Trek, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. In 1995, he launched Ebony Visions, which has remained the top-selling black figurine collectible for two decades. In 2006, Blackshear held a solo exhibition at the Vatican in Rome, where he unveiled his painting of Pope John Paul II for the 25th anniversary of the Pope John Paul II Foundation. Blackshear’s work is showcased at the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, Texas, and the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. His Western art has garnered numerous awards and has been featured on the covers of Art of the West and Western Art Collector. In 2020, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Society of Illustrators, joining the esteemed ranks of Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, and Winslow Homer.