Somewhere between Mary Fedden and loose modern illustration, this dog painting refuses to behave. Three shaggy backs, three different collars, one very serious wait for a treat. Hung up, it gives a room an instant sense of humour without shouting the mint green and soft pink do the work quietly while the story pulls people in. It earns its keep in a kitchen, a breakfast nook, a family hallway or a child’s room, and it is happiest at eye level where the small details on the van can be read up close. Pair it with painted cabinetry, pale wood, cream linen and a bit of brass. Avoid crowding it with other narrative pictures one storyteller per wall is plenty. On paper the brushwork keeps its soft, hand-painted edge.