Thomas Coates (artist)

Thomas John Coates (5 May 1941 – 30 July 2023) was a British artist known for his work in oil painting.^[1]

Coates was born in Birmingham during World War II, shortly before his twin sister, Angela. His father, Thomas, was an Irish toolmaker, and his mother, Eileen, a secretary. He had a challenging childhood, often caring for his father due to his parents' absence.^[2] His early interest in drawing led him to enroll at Bournville School of Art in 1956, and later, he received a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy Schools.^[2][3]

In the early 1960s, Coates began exhibiting his work at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, selling his first painting for just five pounds.^[2] Due to limited financial resources, he initially used discarded paint from other students' palettes.^[2]

During his career, Coates undertook several notable commissions. In 1990, the Ministry of Defence commissioned him to paint the procession marking the Queen Mother's 90th birthday.^[2] Another work, commissioned by businessman Sir Christopher Ondaatje, depicts a reinterpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper featuring prominent figures of the Bloomsbury Group.^[2]

Coates faced health issues in his late thirties due to a pituitary gland tumour affecting his vision, but successful surgery restored his sight.^[2]

He married three times: first in 1965 to Pam Hooper, with whom he had two children, Nathan and Hannah; secondly to Pamela Gibbins in 1973; and finally in 1997 to fellow artist Mary Jackson, with whom he opened the Bladon Gallery in 1985.^[2][4]

Coates died on 20 July 2023, at the age of 82.^[2]