Raymond Leech was born at Great Yarmouth in East Angila in 1949 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. Raymond Leech did take a course in fine art and graphics at a local college of art but considers himself mainly to be a self-taught artist.