Thomas Richman Blackshear II (born November 14, 1955) is an African-American artist whose paintings adorn many Evangelical churches. He is also a sculptor and a designer of stamps and ornaments, often with African American or Western themes.

Early life

Blackshear was born in Waco, Texas. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Blackshear attended the Art Institute of Chicago and then American Academy of Art in Chicago. Blackshear worked for Hallmark Cards for one year after his 1977 graduation from the American Academy of Art.

Career

Blackshear designs have been a featured in the Smithsonian, museum collections, postage stamps and music albums. Blackshear's illustrations for numerous postage stamps have issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS).

<li> [Jean Baptiste Point du Sable](https://bliptext.com/articles/jean-baptiste-point-du-sable) – 22¢ – issued February 20, 1987 (Scott 2249) <li> [James W. Johnson](https://bliptext.com/articles/james-weldon-johnson) – 22¢ – issued February 2, 1988 (Scott 2371) <li> [Asa Philip Randolph](https://bliptext.com/articles/asa-philip-randolph) – 25¢ – issued February 3, 1989 (Scott 2402) <li> [Ida B. Wells](https://bliptext.com/articles/ida-b-wells) – 25¢ – issued February 1, 1990 (Scott 2442) <li> [Dorothy Height](https://bliptext.com/articles/dorothy-height) – 49¢ ([Forever stamp](https://bliptext.com/articles/non-denominated-postage)) – issued February 2, 2017—in conjunction with Lateef Mangum (Scott 474304) </ol> <li> [Joe Louis](https://bliptext.com/articles/joe-louis) – 29¢ – issued June 22, 1993</ol> <li> [Eubie Blake](https://bliptext.com/articles/eubie-blake) <li> [Jelly Roll Morton](https://bliptext.com/articles/jelly-roll-morton) <li> [James P. Johnson](https://bliptext.com/articles/james-p-johnson) <li> [Erroll Garner](https://bliptext.com/articles/erroll-garner) <li> [Thelonious Monk](https://bliptext.com/articles/thelonious-monk) <li> [Coleman Hawkins](https://bliptext.com/articles/coleman-hawkins) <li> [Charlie Parker](https://bliptext.com/articles/charlie-parker) <li> [John Coltrane](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-coltrane) <li> [Louis Armstrong](https://bliptext.com/articles/louis-armstrong) <li> [Charles Mingus](https://bliptext.com/articles/charles-mingus)</ol> <li> [The Wizard of Oz](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-wizard-of-oz-1939-film) <li> [Gone with the Wind](https://bliptext.com/articles/gone-with-the-wind-film) <li> [Stagecoach](https://bliptext.com/articles/stagecoach-1939-film) <li> [Beau Geste](https://bliptext.com/articles/beau-geste-1939-film)</ol> <li> [Bela Lugosi](https://bliptext.com/articles/bela-lugosi) as [Dracula](https://bliptext.com/articles/dracula-1931-english-language-film) <li> [Lon Chaney](https://bliptext.com/articles/lon-chaney) as [The Phantom of the Opera](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-phantom-of-the-opera-1925-film) <li> Lon Chaney, Jr., as [The Wolf Man](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-wolf-man-1941-film) <li> [Boris Karloff](https://bliptext.com/articles/boris-karloff) as [The Mummy](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-mummy-1932-film) <li> [Boris Karloff](https://bliptext.com/articles/boris-karloff) as [Frankenstein's monster](https://bliptext.com/articles/frankenstein-1931-film)</ol> <li> [James Cagney](https://bliptext.com/articles/james-cagney) – single – 33¢ – issued July 22, 1999 (designed by Howard Paine, illustrated by Blackshear)</ol> <li> [James Baldwin](https://bliptext.com/articles/james-baldwin) – single – 37¢ – issued June 24, 2004</ol> <li> [Mother Teresa](https://bliptext.com/articles/mother-teresa) – issued September 5, 2010</ol> A touring exhibit of his Black Heritage works premiered in 1992 at the [Smithsonian Institution](https://bliptext.com/articles/smithsonian-institution)'s [National Museum of American History](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-museum-of-american-history). Blackshear also illustrated the USPS book I Have A Dream: A Collection of Black Americans on U.S. Postage Stamps (1991). Multiple pieces of Blackshear's artwork serve as the cover art for American rock band [The Killers](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-killers)'s sixth studio album [Imploding the Mirage](https://bliptext.com/articles/imploding-the-mirage) (2020) and its singles. Blackshear's original oil paintings in the Western Nouveau genre similar to “Dance of the Wind and Storm” and the other pieces used for [The Killers](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-killers)'s album can be found at the [Broadmoor](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-broadmoor) Galleries in [Colorado Springs](https://bliptext.com/articles/colorado-springs). Blackshear also created video game box art, including Karateka (1984). Thomas Blackshear's oil painting Forgiven (1991) is in the collection of the [Museum of Biblical Art, Dallas](https://bliptext.com/articles/museum-of-biblical-art-dallas). His oil painting Now What? (2008) is in the collection of the [Booth Western Art Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/booth-western-art-museum). Blackshear's paintings are often featured at the [National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-cowboy-western-heritage-museum).

Personal life

Blackshear and his wife, Ami Beth Smith, met through the American Academy of Art College, Chicago. The couple have one son and reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Thomas Blackshear has been a Christian since he was a young man. He credits his marriage and artistic success to God, “So many things that have come my way during my career are blessings from God.”

Works and publications

Awards and honors