The Blessing - First Issue

This inspiring piece portrays the intimate relationship between mother and child. Notice the way Blackshear has captured the feelings of love and adoration as the mother gazes into the baby’s face. She holds him close to her heart because she knows he is a true blessing from above.

The perfect gift for a mother – young or old; for no matter the age of the children, a mother always remembers. Bless someone in your life with the gift of Thomas Blackshear’s artwork.

Blackshear renders this woman and her child in exquisite detail.

While we don't guarantee the appreciation of collectibles, The Storyteller, one of the most sought-after pieces from the Ebony Visions™ collection, has been sold out since 1996. It originally sold for $410 in 1995, and is currently trading on the secondary market for up to $5,000, according to Blackshear Online.

Brand New in Original Package:
This piece is guaranteed authentic and is brand new with original paperwork and packaging. It comes to you as if you purchased from your local gift store because we are authorized retailers of the Ebony Visions™ collection.

About Artist Thomas Blackshear:
Thomas Blackshear II, the son of an Air Force captain, grew up in Atlanta, Georgia.

“While all the other guys were playing baseball or basketball, I was in my house, drawing.” He pursued an interest in art while in high school, earning a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago. After a year there, he transferred to the Academy of Art. He was recruited by Hallmark Cards and later became an apprentice of illustrator Mark English.

Blackshear moved to Kansas City where he became head illustrator at the Godbold/Richter Studio. Just a year later, he began a freelance career, illustrating advertisements, several U.S. Postal stamp collections — “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, and The Wizard of Oz. Although successful, he was dissatisfied and decided to pursue a career in fine art.

Blackshear has received many awards, including the Society of Illustrators’ Gold Medal. He was profiled on The Living Canvas, an art magazine on public television, and he has been featured on the Ebony/Jet Showcase and The 700 Club, and in The Saturday Evening Post. 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.