Raymond leech biography

Raymond Leech was born at Great Yarmouth in East Angila and spent his childhood by the seaside.

He was influenced to take up an artistic career by his father, who taught him to draw.

In particular, he was inspired by the work of the Newlyn School, the french impressionists, Edgar Degas 1834-1917, Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1841-1919 and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 1864-1901.

From 1965 1970 he studied fine art and graphics at Great Yarmouth College of Art.

Originally he made his living in graphic design, but demand for his original art grew so he eventually made the decision to take up painting full time.

He works in oil, watercolour and pastel and his motivation as an artist is best illustrated by his affection for the figure work of the Cornish Newlyn School of artists, which at the turn of the twentieth century included Stanhope Forbes and Dame Laura Knight.

He admires their work because it provided 'a breath of fresh air' and Raymond believes that a successful painting i