A piece of original Doug art called “The Magic Returns” recently came my way via Gary Brown. The quarantine has certainly made people work out their creative juices in varied and unique ways. Here’s Gary’s thought process behind his most recent work. It shows how in these polarizing times, Doug’s message still continues to shine through loud and clear.

One of my moments of quarantine inspiration was the creation of this mixed media painting. 

At first, I wasn’t sure why I felt compelled to craft this.   But once the elements came together, it hit me: we’ve spent a great deal of time recently talking about how magic can bring a message of hope and inspiration in difficult times…

For those who remember it, New York in the early 1970s could be characterized only as hard times. Street crime and violence dominated the news. The nunchuck…became a popular street weapon, and the graffiti tagger – captured here with the TAK 182 tag – would soon dominate the landscape. The idealistic promise of the sixties seemed dead, and politics hit a new low.   

And then along came this wonderful wizard – Doug Henning – who through his Broadway show and a national television special – would reintroduce millions to the magic of stage illusion.    

Maybe that message has become newly relevant.