Marianne Coats

My work is about personality, connection, and the small signals that tell us who someone really is.

I create mixed media animal portraits that I call the Cooligans — crowned, bespectacled characters with a little swagger, humor, and emotional truth. They started as playful figures, but over time they became a way for me to explore the people we recognize in our own lives: the protector, the truth-teller, the soft-hearted tough guy, the oddball friend, the one who makes the room feel safer.

I build each piece through layers of paint, texture, collage, resin, gold leaf, and gemstone embellishments. The details are intentionally a little extravagant because I want the work to feel both whimsical and treasured — like a character you want to keep around.

I began painting later in life, after years of feeling pulled toward creativity but not fully claiming it. The Cooligans became a doorway into a more honest and joyful visual language. They allow me to make work that is lighthearted without being shallow, and playful without losing depth.

At its heart, my work is an invitation to recognize yourself, or someone you love, in an unexpected face.

I am a self taught artist and a graduate of the Milan Art Institute Mastery Program, where I completed training in drawing, painting, mixed media, composition, color, and professional art practice. I'm also a continuous learner of the internet's vast resources.

Since beginning my painting practice in 2022, I have continued my education through independent study, studio experimentation, and hands on experience exhibiting and selling my work through art fairs, gallery exhibitions, juried festivals, and direct collector relationships.