30/04/2021
I am always in awe at the generosity of people around the world. What brings us together is our humanity and common interests.
Yesterday, out of the blue, I received a special package from Athens, Greece. It contained a gift from artist, Juliano Kaglis
Can you believe it, Juliano took the time to make a lovely tribute painting of my late husband, Norm Nielsen. Along with it, he sent a letter in which he describes watching Norm on a television special in the 1980s. He recorded that show and watched it for years and learned a lot from it while wondering who that magician was.
The painting depicts Norm in the middle of his card routine performing the “Interlocked Card Production”, in which the magician interlocks his fingers, and produces cards one at a time in between them. The move is originally credited to magician Cliff Green, who invented it in the early 20th century. Dai Vernon and Channing Po***ck did it, and so did Norm. IMHO, this is Norm’s signature move of his card routine, as he did it better than anyone else. It is one of the most difficult moves in card manipulation, yet he did it with ease and economy of movement. He was deliberate and never compensated by moving his shoulders or elbows. The cards just appeared one at a time between his fingers. It really looked like magic. His technique was flawless.
About three years ago, during his struggle with dementia, I casually brought a deck of cards out, and asked him to do the interlocked production for me. It was amazing to see how muscle memory kicked in, and he was still able to still perform it flawlessly.
I will treasure this beautiful painting. THANK YOU, Juliano, for your generosity, and for immortalizing a beautiful memory of Norm.