Thomas Miller was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1943. Since childhood, when playing with puppets and making pictures were a vital part of learning, Thomas wanted to be an artist. He majored in art at the University of Redlands in California, and received his MFA in painting from the University of Iowa in 1969.

In 1969 Thomas moved to Nova Scotia to become the art consultant for the Kings County School Board. As well as teaching art in elementary schools he began experimentation in puppet theatre. In 1972 Thomas left teaching to co-found Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, which specializes in mixed media puppet productions for young people. For fifteen years Thomas was the resident designer for Mermaid Theatre and created several award winning productions which toured Canada, England, Wales, Australia, Japan and the United States.

In 1987 Thomas resigned from Mermaid Theatre and began painting full time. His favourite medium is acrylic on canvas. Early works included landscape and still life. Since 2006 his paintings have featured references to historical artists and artifacts. Thomas has exhibited regularly since 1987, participating in solo and group exhibitions in Canada and the United States where his paintings are part of private and corporate collections.

Thomas is a Canadian citizen. During his years in Canada he has lived in Wolfville, Nova Scotia; Toronto, Ontario; Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia; and Oakville, Ontario. In 2019, Thomas moved to Toronto, where he participates in the art scene and manages the Estate of Louis de Niverville.