Helen Mary Coaton (1911–2005) was a British artist, known for her sculptures in both wood and stone.

Biography

Coaton was born in Leicester and was educated at the Wyggeston School for Girls in that city before studying for a history degree at

Bristol University , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

. After graduating she enrolled in the

Leicester College of Art De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body. The name De Montfort University was tak ...

where she was taught sculpture by Percy Brown from 1937 to 1942. In 1942 Coaton was awarded the Hinton Prize by the Leicester Society of Artists, of which she was an active member. She was also a member of the

Artists' International Association The Artists' International Association (AIA) was an organisation founded in London in 1933 out of discussion among Pearl Binder, Clifford Rowe, Misha Black, James Fitton, James Boswell, James Holland, Edward Ardizzone, Peter Laszlo Peri'Artist ...

and frequently exhibited both wood, stone and bronze sculptures with both bodies. For a time Coaton lived in

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...

in Essex before moving to

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, where she died in 2005. The

New Walk Museum The Leicester Museum & Art Gallery (until 2020, New Walk Museum and Art Gallery) is a museum on New Walk in Leicester, England, not far from the city centre. It opened in 1849 as one of the first public museums in the United Kingdom. Leiceste ...

in Leicester holds examples of her work.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coaton, Helen Mary 1911 births 2005 deaths 20th-century British sculptors 20th-century English women artists Alumni of the University of Bristol Alumni of De Montfort University People from Leicester English women sculptors