I’ve had my eye on the controversial redesign of the Museum of Art and Design for some time. When I discovered a composition including the CNN Sign and the sexy Hearst Tower, how could I resist?

The piece followed Apple Store Painting, which established a new series of constants; a visual un-collaged void, my portrait reprinted in the NY Post as a collage element, and a well known public figure adorned with a target.

Here’s the scene from the Central Park side of Columbus Circle. After the jump, putting the mad and Madoff into the MAD Museum – a full painting process.

Starting out with a quick compositional sketch with the shrink rap still on. I’m not one of those manly, handy artists that stretches their own canvas – I like my canvas like I like my burger, medium well-done by someone else. Maybe Kevin “Jackson” Pollack is more of an artists’ artist.

Banging out a quick under drawing with directional lines.

Starting to collage… focused on the Mad in Mad Museum. I’ll bet there are some folks who hate thy neighbor (a metaphorical Madoff) residing in the Time Warner Center… though, it didn’t stop the mastermind behind Cabbage Patch Kids from buying his old spot.

Some red lines… with a yellow, red, and newsprint surface, the canvas has an energy. Unfortunately, the sky opened up right around this moment so I had to retreat to Whole Foods. Thank you Dave and Randi for letting me stash my canvas and easel – so very much appreciated.

Getting to work on the paint… a woman walked by and said, “I like dis, but not ze killed and blood color, for zis, shame on for you.” I took it as a major compliment. Unless I explain why I am doing what I do, I am sure this type of thing makes me look like a madman… when, really, I am just a reformed Mad Man.

A full color cycle with some outlines, breaking down the composition, trying to make sense of the composition without a fatal bluff, in Oprah Drive Time.

And here is where the canvas was left off after two days of work. Madoff is peaking over the ledge, while CNN has been replaced (for now) by Fox. Ohhhh… scintillating.

Beginning to separate the lighter and darker plains in the picture. Oh, speaking of Bernie, my lady cited an interesting point – who would trust their nest egg to a guy whose name sounds like Made-off? Perhaps he seemed industrious.

Drilling into each building, capturing reflections and emphasizing blue on the CNN building. Simultaneously, looking towards lighter tones on the MAD, and deeper shades on the dark side of the Hearst Tower.

Love adding signs and girders. Now, the Hearst is starting to feel real – as real as a building made of gigantic letters anyway.

At this juncture, the sky and CNN building are competing pretty tenaciously. The MAD building is taking shape, but the planes are too similar in tone.

Working each color heavily in its primary location, while identifying canvas-wide highlights to fuse the image. This technique is similar to coaching little league – you spread out your best players to overcompensate for players daisy picking.

Very close.

And final. I was speaking about the Museum of Art and Design with my friend Dave, and we noticed it looks like a combination of the word “hi” and the Enron logo. You can see the “hi” clearly from the Time Warner side of the street. Oh well, at least it’s 4:20 and 83 degrees.

Finally, between Madoff and Kerik, Lomax is the only one left we can trust – and he is dead.