"Doggie-daughter Tattoo," 2009, gouache and acrylic on panel, 16"x20"

"Okay, Who Wants A Cappuccino, Decaf?" 2009, oil on panel, 24"x18"

"Have You Heard the One About the Horse Who Walks Into A Bar?" 2008, oil on panel, 24"x18"

"I Win!" 2008, gouache and acrylic on panel, 18"x24"

Rolf Rykken, a 1997 fine-arts graduate of the Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington, D.C., is a painter of narrative, figurative work often portrayed in domestic settings that include a dog. He uses bold, bright colors in an expressionistic manner. Most of the paintings are about love and longing, happiness, separation and loss. They also are nostalgic celebrations of a loving domesticity. Included are some diversions about the fun of horses, cows and pigs. He works in oil or gouache on wood panel or canvas.

"Let Me In! (Dark Shadow)," 2009, gouache on panel, 16"x20," private collection

"Going for A Ride (And Sleeping)," 2009, gouache on panel, 20"x16"

"Sophie Matisse," 1996, b&w photo, 8 1/2"x11," private collection

"What A Nice Old Man," 2001, oil on canvas, 20"x30"