Whatever you do, don't hang the oil paintings of American painter Scott Anderson in a kiddie's bedroom. Sure, the little ones will probably enjoy the bright colours, but the wacky subject matter and odd severed head/giant turtle will probably give them the occasional nightmare.

According to an interview he gave here, science fiction has always been a major influence on his work.

"Like a lot of boys my age, much of the pop culture consumed in our formative years were science fiction, so there is no doubt that it's been a component in a lot of my work, both deliberately and subconsciously. I think it's particularly apt when describing my work a few years ago, and maybe less so now.

What I think influences me more than science fiction is medieval painting. I've always been attracted to the epic narratives, symbolism, and generosity of detail. I like it that academics have devoted their careers to decoding the paintings and that these things are timeless, eternally interesting objects. They are always an occasion for new meanings even if they had a very specific function during the time of their making. This is how I want my work to operate and I think a lot of contemporary art does not.

My paintings connect to the lineage of the medium through a sort of customisation of its archetypes, and through that I'm searching for my own language - my own way to define the medium of painting."

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. That's what influences the artwork of Scott Anderson. For more about the artist, you can check out the in depth interview of Fecal Face.

But before you bail, take a moment to check out some of his colourful brilliance in our image gallery below.

Sweet dreams, children.