I start a master-study after Leonardo Da Vinci, March 2026, 40 by 60 inches, pencil on paper, handmade by Melancholy.
small island studio by 宣雄
Xiong Xuan Melancholy
handwriting by Melancholy on April 5, 2026: Hao's friends would like to buy my work, i am so glad, because i need to buy some art material recently. But the person could not pay much. They are very friendly, but they can not pay much. So I suggest that i could copy Van Gogh for them. I need to accumulate artwork, to be prepared for my exhibition, in the future. Right now, I am in the plan of my New Renaissance, which is 200 piece of paper to be done, each one is 40 by 60 inches. I made a math, it's going to take 15 years until finished. I can make it. I know I can make it. Right now I am doing master-copy after Leonardo Da Vinci. The original piece is a painting. I like it so much, so I decided to make a copy, with my pencil. I made a bedding preparation with orange color pencil, and then draw the shadows with pencil, so it will look brown to the end. The painting is so beautiful, so perfect. I like it very much. It's a sene of Maria with baby Jesus, she sits on the legs of Anne. The entire painting is so quiet and peaceful. I guess he might spent a whole year to finish it. So i wouldn't make it in a hurry. I will give myself enough time, to observe the original work, by copying it, i need to look every single detail very carefully. People have illusion when copy master pieces. They will get exciting during copying, and may feel like, I can do as well as the master. But it's a illusion. If you want to compete with him, you must finish your work completely by yourself, from composition, to your own idea of the design, and light and shadow effect, totally by yourself. And you need to be a nice person, your personality, and your will to work through the end, are very necessary. i wouldn't be a painter, because I have determined to be a drawing artist. Cross-hatching is the way I draw. It's like a looming machine, try to be flat, like a cotton fabric. i like the texture of cotton. It's soft, gentle, and tender. I feel very happy today, because I bought some beautiful dress today. i still like pretty clothes, to feel young and happy with it. Not anything super expensive, but what i like. The small cherry tree, in front of my window, no longer with small pink flowers anymore. Right now, new leaves growing on the branches. Spring is new green, and i am on a green dress, to match it. i know, as time going on, I will become older and older, day by day. Right now, i am in the summer time in my life journey. I am still so ambitious with my work. I will keep working, to finish the promise i made to my pencil -- Pinky. That's the name of my pink pencil. They are my best friends. I love my small-island studio. I live here, and work here. i feel happy and sad, exciting and upset, hopeful and desperate, working hard and fall down to sleep. I love my studio, i can't stand even just imagine lose it. Each time i left briefly, i worry about it, because i don't want other people to touch my work. I have to finish it completely by myself. I use 4H mechanical pencil leads, but it had stopped producing, which made me so anxious. Because i worry i may short of 4H in the coming period of time. i need to control my drawing very lightly, from the beginning to the end. If you could talk to the 4H producer, Pentel, could you please begging for me, require them to still produce it? i got anxious because of it. And i thank you if you could help me. i can do a Van Gogh copy for you, if you come to me. Recently, I am teaching a 5-year ofd little boy drawing. just children stuff, small animals, in children style. The boy like art very much. And he made me happy. i would like to see him once a week, Saturday afternoon at 2:30, to see him growing taller and taller, gradually. it's quite different from teaching real students. Right now i have no time to teach students, simply because i need to do my 200 pages work, for my New Renaissance. It's a lone artist, working alone. Please do not talk around me when drawing, because i need to concentrate my mind with my pencil, also because i have thoughts during work, my thinking about drawing during work. And i write it down on my notebook. One day i will publish my writing, and my drawings. I will made a beautiful book, at the same time with my exhibition. i know, if I doing great, people will get moved by my drawings, and they will help me. i appreciate them had been care me, and see hope on me. i see glory and hope too, but sometimes i am lack of courage too. But i tell myself: just keep drawing, make the green apple tree a harvest. My harvest will be in the Autumn of my life journey, in my fifties. i guess i would feel calm and content, when i finish it. I am 41 years old right now. i am in the golden age of my art-life. I treasure my time very much. If you like my work, you may check my website. I will update once a while, with some working process photos, and with a handwriting also. I guess you would like to read it too. Thank you so much for your love to me. i wouldn't give up. i would keep working, like a horse, not arguing what to get, just to live basically, with green grass as food, and with wind blowing my forehead, when i am running in the fields.
This is Melancholy Xiong Xuan's personal website, just about my drawings, essays and some photos during drawing process, this is my everyday drawing life as an artist, I built up this small-island since 2013 at State College, PA. I know how precious to have your support, it is meaningful to drawing everyday, and it is meaningful that you see it on my website, it is like an isolated small island, away from lure from reality world, let me be dreaming, if you like my drawings, I will be so appreciating your support, thank you very much. contact: melancholysmallislandstudio@gmail.com or xiong.xuan@gmail.com if you would like to read more about my story and my art, you can find it in "about" as well as "essay".