[5][better source needed] During 1991–1993, he attended the Mid Glamorgan Centre of Art & Design Technology, Pontypridd, where he won the Student of The Year Award at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, prompting the BBC arts programme The Slate to include an article about the artist on their Eisteddfod Special in 1993, shown initially on BBC1 Wales and also, shortly after throughout the UK, on BBC2.

[6] During his time at Cheltenham, Payne was granted a place on the ERASMUS programme at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

[8] Similar ecological and socialist themes can also be seen in more recent exhibitions[9] together with his painting "Our Very Own Eco-System" held in the University of South Wales collection,[10] and his cover illustration for Red Poets #19 magazine.

[13] In 2014 he provided the cover art for Welsh alternative rock band "The Joy Formidable" single "Tynnu Sylw " (aka) "Aruthrol B".

[18] In 2021 Payne also provided further cover art for the "dunkie" project for their 5-track EP entitled "The Vanishing and Other Stories".