Hand-Signed Prints Now Available on ShopPBS.org

Just go the Purchase page to find out how you can own a hand-signed print of Michael Deas’ portraits of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham
Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Martha Washington.

Gerald Ford, Katherine Ann Porter…and more soon

The US Postal Service has been keeping Michael busy over the past couple of years.  The most recent addition to his long list of stamps is Gerald Ford , released in August 2007.  The likeness was based on a photograph that was a favorite of Mrs. Ford, who was very happy with the finished portrait. “It's a strong painting, but it's a soft painting, that shows his warmth and just really who he is as a person,” she told The Desert Sun newspaper. “And that's the nice part.”  Click here for more about the release or click here for the unveiling .

In May 2006 another of Michael’s works for the Postal Service was released.  Pulitzer-prize winning author Katherine Ann Porter became the 22nd author honored in the Literary Arts series stamp program.  The portrait was based on a 1936 photograph by George Platt Lynes.  Michael chose to use a ship in the background to represent the voyage that inspired Porter's best-selling novel, Ship of Fools , as well as the way she perceived her own life, as “this brave new voyage.”  Click here to see Porter’s portrait.

There are more stamps to come soon, including Bette Davis.  Check back to find out what other famous faces will be in your mailbox soon.  

Theodore Roosevelt

In July 2006 Michael impressed Time magazine readers with his Theodore Roosevelt portrait, his fourth cover in Time ’s “Making of America” series.  Michael’s previous Time covers include Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson.  Click here to see the newest cover image.

Earthbound receives high honors

This past year Michael’s painting for the cover of the Richard Matheson novel Earthbound won a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators (2006).  This is the fifth time Michael has received this prestigious award from the Society of Illustrators.  The painting also received a silver medal from Spectrum (2006) and was featured in Communication Arts' 2007 Illustration Annual .  To see the award-winning image, click here .

The purloined Poe daguerreotype

In addition to Michael’s artistic talents, he is also the leading authority on the portraits and daguerreotypes of  Edgar Allan Poe.  Check out the link below to find out how Michael brought a rare daguerreotype of Poe back to its rightful owners—with the help of the FBI and PBS's Antiques Roadshow .   Click here for the full story.

Martha Washington goes home

Michael's Martha Washington portrait was commissioned as the cover of the definitive biography of America’s first First Lady, written by historian Patricia Brady, Martha Washington: An American Life (Penguin Books).  The likeness was based primarily on a computer generated age-regression image created by an Louisiana State University forensic anthropologist.  Contrary to popular belief, Martha Washinton was not a dowdy matron, but a witty, astute, and ardent patriot who followed her husband into battle, even encamping with him during the bitter winter at Valley Forge.  The portrait is the Nation’s first glimpse at what Martha Washington looked like prior to her marriage to her famous husband.

Mount Vernon, historic home of George and Martha Washington, recently acquired Michael’s portrait of the young Martha, where it will remain on permanent display. To find out how you can own a copy of this portrait, click here .  Or to read more about Pat Brady's biography go to: Martha Washington .