New paintings found: robot puppet + old dog

I found these at my local thrift store yesterday
The dog is signed Douglas Kenney; googlig Douglas Kenney artist turns up 1 - but he is a ceramics artist. Do you think it's the same person (painting seems older)?

The 2nd I thought was cool - it looks like a robot puppet! I also googled R Alvarez artist - and found a RF Alvarez but it didn't really look like this one (RF. Alvarez | The Invitation (2022) | Artsy)

Any idea of artists - and any thoughts if these are as nice as I'm hoping - would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

The dog portrait is charming. Could be a student work. But not by the ceramicist. The second one is signed R. Alarez, not Alvarez. Looks like factory art.

Debora

 

I like the gestural quality of the dog! Second piece looks like student work to me.

 

I said a robot puppet - isn't a puppet the same as a marionette?

 

A marionette is a type of puppet, one controlled by wires or strings. Unlike a hand puppet.

Debora