There are many influences on my art, but one of the major influences is something not quite so obvious. I have mild autism - what used to be called Aspergers - and this has had a definite impact on my work. The primary impact is that I paint realistically in all my work, often with a lot of repetitive detail. I do not paint abstract works or use any kind of abstract, impressionistic, or contemporary styles; this is not because I think there is anything wrong with them, I just can’t. My brain is wired up in a very particular way and it only allows me to see things in a very real and literal sense. It also makes me pedantic to the extreme and this can make me the most appalling perfectionist when it comes to painting something, which is not always a good thing. But I try very hard not to see autism as a hindrance, even if it is not much of a benefit, and I try to use it in my art as positively as I can.