BIRDSONG DELIGHTS TREKKIES WITH ARTWORK

Is it real or a painting by artist Keith Birdsong? That's a question many of the 350 Continuum V convention goers might have asked Saturday.

Birdsong, 38, of Muskogee, Okla., has created Star Trek artwork for book covers, numbered collector's plates, postage stamps and first day covers. Among his paintings are realistic Star Trek character portraits.

During the second day of the three-day convention, Birdsong signed autographs and greeted Sci-Fi enthusiasts at the convention art show at the Holiday Inn.

Birdsong's life-like portraits of the Star Trek actors are portrayed in the settings of their famous roles.

Birdsong tries to make his paintings realistic.

"I admired Norman Rockwell when I was growing up," he said. "I want to capture the personality behind the images."

Birdsong, a self-taught artist, started art as a hobby.

"I was a military journalist and paratrooper for a few years," he said. "I broke into the art business as a professional doing military book covers and then children's books."

Eight years ago Birdsong was commissioned to do the Star Trek series covers and other Star Trek collectible items.

He also has a long list of other accomplishments.

In 1992, he was commissioned to do the first day cover for the 1992 Olympics commemorative postage stamps and last year he was commissioned to design the Indian Dancers postage stamp collection.

Birdsong's art has even gone out into the galaxy. His postage stamp artwork, which was commissioned by NASA and the Postal Service, was taken aboard the space craft Endeavor as it traveled into space. He recently was commissioned to do a new postage stamp collection for 1999.

His art includes a Southwestern genre.

"I'm still playing with it and seeing what I can do with it." he said of his art.

Art was everywhere in the dealer's room at Continuum V.

Fifteen collectible dealers from around the country had displays.

Everything from TV guide covers to T-Shirts boasted Sci-Fi artwork.