About John Leech

Trained in Graphic Design in the early 80s, setting up Leech Design in 1991. Now working as an artist and photographer in the Lake District.

The John Leech Studio is a web based collection of galleries showcasing the watercolour paintings and limited edition photography of John Leech.

I studied fine art at Blackpool Technical College then went on to Newcastle upon Tyne where I graduated in Graphic Design. I then worked in Leicester, Liverpool and Perth (Scotland) before moving back to the Fylde in 1991 to set up Leech Design with my wife Sue.

December 1999 saw a major change in our life when we moved to Grange over Sands where I continue to run Leech Design. Sue has retrained and is now an art teacher at a local school. Photography and watercolour painting have become a larger part of my life, the added control and flexibility I've gained from digital photography being a stimulus for my current style and passion for creative photographic prints, black and white landscape and architecture being favourite subjects. Living in Grange over Sands with panoramic views over the ever changing Morecambe Bay has provided a constant subject which I have been photographing constantly over the past few years.

My watercolour painting style is bold and free. All work is painted on location, usually sitting on the pavement or the occasional luxury of a bench or seat. Favourite subjects are large old buildings, I find the awesome power of being sat in front of a huge Gothic cathedral irresistible. I love to paint the French Cathedrals, festooned with ornate carvings. One of the attractions to painting in France is the accelerated drying times compared to working on a typical English summer's day!

I enjoy a range of photography from events and portraits to more interpretive and creative photography. Having been brought up on traditional darkroom techniques black and white photography remained my passion for some time, though I'm currently experimenting with colour photography and creating some interesting results. I enjoy entering, and have had some success, in photographic competitions.

My blog site gives an insight into my photography, post processing and painting: johnleechstudio.blogspot.com