At an early age, Coates won his first scholarship to study at the Birmingham College of Art. His work was again rewarded when he was invited to study at the Royal Academy Schools on scholarship. Now acclaimed and widely respected in the art world, he has been president of the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Pastel Society, the Royal Society of Watercolor Painters, and the Society of Equestrian Artists. Coates exhibits widely and keeps busy with commissions.