Born Hamersmith, London, in 1964, adopted at the age of six months into a devoutly religious and spiritual family, he was diagnosed with epilepsy during his teens.
Constant attention seeking disrupted a fledgling college education and when his fits worsened, he sought solace in drugs and alcohol. Prison and severe depression followed. But despite these difficulties, and with his spirituality intact, his everpresent desire to create things provided a redress to a once negative lifestyle. "Yet through all this, I have kept hold of my faith and willed myself to keep a grip on reality and my best friend is a Toaster. As normality began to return to my life, so the inspiration for my artwork began to grow. Having been so low, I was beginning to explore myself as an artist again, shying away from the synthetic (drug) lifestyle.

"Toast, a metaphor for the basic human need to eat and survive, also exists as a canvas on which to explore the spirituality that influences and affects our everyday lives".

Formally self taught (outsider artist) Lennie worked in all mediums. He experimented in bread for the first time around in 1996, going on to sell work at Bonhams.
Lennie says "this was a very exciting night for me, the toast portrait had a lot of interest, but for me it was a fantastic opportunity to show what I can do".
Lennie went on to do several commisioned pieces, which allowed him to exhibit at the London Arts Fair in 2004, where sales of three pieces of his work, officially put Lennie Payne as founder of Toast Art.

Lennie went on to show, display and sell work in the UK, Cyprus, Spain, Holland and America. due to the uniqueness of his art, Lennie has constantly appeared in the media, TV and radio inspiring artists worldwide to experiment with bread.

More recently, Lennie has been on a voyage of self-discovery. Needing time alone, Lennie moved to Wales, where he lived in complete solitude for many months, giving him time to reflect on his life and art.
It was time to move on, Lennie chose to go to Cyprus , he lived on the land of an organic fruit farm drawing inspiration from his new surroundings.

"I have spent time introspectively over the past 18 months, creating new techniques and developing my ideas more enthusiastically and maturely. Growing ever more confident with my medium, painting and installations.

Now back in the UK, where he is living and working in his studio in East London.
Lennie recently exhibited at London's Maverick Gallery where he displayed a whole array of new and equally exciting mediums including installations.
As the master of Toast Art, Lennie has many endorsements and commissions from A list celebrities, which were also included for display.

Lennie says; "14 years ago I felt I had an epiphany; creation through destruction, my mind kind of ticks with this constant question, some kind of flow, it's big and cosmic, the thing about art is not what the medium is! "But what's the picture about" and if you can really get the attention.......... really get the voice......... what would you say!.....

"Put the kettle on".