Swan Song - THOMAS BLACKSHEAR II, the son of an Air Force captain, 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 pursued an interest in art throughout high school, securing a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago. After a year there, he transferred to the nearby Academy of Art. While finishing his college education, he was recruited by Hallmark Cards and later became the apprentice of illustrator Mark English.
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—one called "Black Heritage," another on classic movies, and a third on jazz musicians—and several series of Hamilton Group collector s plates featuring scenes from Star Wars, Star Trek,...
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| "I wanted to do something with a Western theme, but with a different slant . . . something fantastic and beautiful at the same time. This is almost a dream state, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a dream. I'm trying to evoke a feeling or an emotion, as opposed to a specific incident. I titled it 'Swan Song' because it symbolizes the end of a way of life on the Great Plains.
"Usually when I do a painting that has a sunset in it, there's sunlight and shadow. The elements that are in the sunlight are really bright. But here, the background is light and the figures are darker against the background. If it was true sunlight, the birds would have been bright agaist a blue sky. But that would take away the interesting design pattern of the swans and Indian together. I made them darker than the sky so that you notice that pattern, instead of seeing the light reflecting off them. I wanted to keep it exciting and attractive, yet still with a feeling of silhouette.
"No matter what I choose to do, I want it to be interesting and elegant. I love to create and give myself new challenges. That's what drives me as an artist." |
| Swan Song, by Thomas Blackshear Is a Limited Edition production by the Artist. Print Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity which affirms that this Art Print is an authentic Limited Edition production from Thomas Blackshear |
African American Art and Gifts website is an Authorized Dealer representing the work of Thomas Blackshear. Please feel free to call us directly at 1-800-206-3715 with any questions or to place an order.
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