Thomas Blackshear II

Though born in Waco, Texas, Blackshear spent much of his youth moving throughout the country with his father, an Air Force captain, until finally settling in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of nine. Passionate about art from a young age, Blackshear graduated from the Academy of Art in Chicago and, upon graduation, received a job at Hallmark Cards. Now a freelance artist, he was responsible for several U.S. Postal Service stamp collections including the "Black Heritage" series.