Similar in structure to Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress, the paintings in The Seven Laughters of God series follow a young artist as he navigates the trials and tribulations of a creative life. Originally derived from an Egyptian creation myth, the seven laughters are Light, Firmament, Mind, Generation, Fate, Time, and Soul. These are weighty themes, yet the subject is laughter. The pitfalls of trying to lead a painter’s life are many, setting up choices that are confounding, and in retrospect, often absurd. Having stubbornly clawed, hungered, and just plain slipped my way through a thirty-year art career, reveling in its tremendous highs, and surviving its gut-wrenching, soul-testing lows, I have the greatest sympathy for those young artists who are just beginning their ascent. The Seven Laughters of God is dedicated to those who endeavor to lead a creative life.