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10/05/2008
Thomas Blackshear II 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 was awarded a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago. After a year there, he transferred to the Academy of Art. While finishing his college education, he was recruited by Hallmark Cards.
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. Although he was successful as a commerical artist, he was dissatisfied and decided to pursue a career in fine art.
Thomas Blackshear has received many awards for his artwork, including the Society of Illustrators’ coveted Gold Medal. 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.
One of Thomas Blackshear’s figurines ….First Kiss