Express Yourself:

Spotlight on Thomas Blackshear

The need to express oneself
To release some of your essence
In words, or sounds, or images,
Meant to wash away pains
And illuminate great joys--
The right hand of a spirit
Too dry to shed tears
Too full to simply smile,
Therefore it must create
Paint, speak, and sing...
A spotlight on your very soul
Shining in near perfect creations
Reflecting a piece of you,
A gift you gave the world.

One of Thomas Blackshear's paintings titled Intimacy which sells for $595.[6]

Thomas Blackshear is an award winning artist of our time. His art has been used by companies such as Universal Studios and Lucas films as well as the US Post Office.[1]. Blackshear is the artist behind several US postage stamps, including those honoring James Weldon Johnson, Ida B. Wells, James Baldwin, and other historical black figures.[2] The exhibit for his work on these stamps premiered in the Smithsonian in 1992. Blackshear has also earned the Society of Illustrators' Gold Medal.[3] Blackshear also has a line of figurines known as Ebony Visions, which feature black characters as an alternative to the usually predominately  white figurines sold in most stores,[4] though he does produce figurines which feature white characters as well.

References

1. Thomas Blackshear Gallery". The Black Art Depot; visited 2014
2. "Artist Thomas Blackshear II". USPS; visited 2014
3. "Thomas Blackshear". The Greenwich Workshop; visited 2014
4. "Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions". The Collection Shop; visited 2014
5. Artwork: Intimacy