running out of time

as the year closes out .......

see you soon.........

the tunnel

today's turntable

ambient music at it’s best.

for the past few days all i have been listening to is all ambient music all day and night long.

here are some of my current rotations. in no particular order. i highly recommend you seek these out and pounce on them for true pure ambient bliss.

woodblue-north letter

ametsub - the nothings of the north

wes willenbring - somewhere someone else

mokira - persona

olafur arnalds - variations of static

white rainbow - box

there ya have it.

float on-

d.

today's movie.

the postcard set that is rocking the world

a lovely movie that contains fish

...and this dog

well the weekend is drawing to a close. first friday was a smash. the postcards were a great big hit. thanks to the staff at impact printing for getting that done for me. everyone was in a great positive mood friday and the energy was way cool. the weather was great , though some people thought it was too cold. ha ! it was beautiful. might even rain tomorrow. made some new friends, saw an old friend that i hadn't seen in over 20 years, my mom came to town and this dog (see photo) came back into the studio for the second time in so many months. he comes alone, which i find odd ? a few of my collectors brought people that liked my work and are now new collectors. it was a great. that's the only was to describe it. thank you to all the fine people and a special thank you to kate for organizing the "extrava-grand-za" that took place and brought more folks into the studio on saturday afternoon..... now i make you this promise. i will post more often to the page and since people are asking. more music related posts coming up here. thanks for all your continued support... your pal-

danny

ambient studio photo of the day

ambient studio photo of the day

this is proof

this photo acts as proof that work was done. things were created paint was splashed. lines were drawn. things were cut glued and sanded at the ambient studio today well into the late afternoon when the sun moved behind a black rain cloud and i lost the natural light to work in. (run on sentence). well that's how it went down today there. getting ready for the big weekend of art show fun. both friday and saturday we will be down at the studio for you to see all the new work. hope you can make it.

hours are friday the 4th 6pm till 10pm and saturday from 10am till 6pm.

ambient studio photo of the day

black friday

so here we are in the x-mas shopping season. i just don't get it how folks think that they need to go out to best buy or jc penny's at 3am to get what will be there later at a much more reasonable hour. silly people. maybe it's just some sort of social event that you do every year? i don't know. but while were on the subject, all i want this year is itune gift cards. all i can get. easy huh? easy to mail, easy to give. easy to love. im ,as we all know, for the people. i do hope that you all had a nice thanksgiving with whomever you decided to spend it with. i had a nice one thanks for asking... remember. itunes gift cards, and oh yeah. christ is king.

ambient studio photo of the day

tuesday november 23.2009.

in the studio..... felt good to work. somewhat rusty. i hate when that happens.

ambient studio photo of the day

we've taken an industrial turn here away from the organic things that i post most often.....oh don't you worry my friend , soon i'll be back out there clickin' away at all the plant life i can find. enough said. good night honey.

the ambient studio photo of the day

bonus photo of the day

ambient studio photo of the day

the ambient studio photo of the day

not too much to say.

what do i tell you folks out the when i don't really have anything to say?

i know i know... look at this lovely colorful rainbow skull painting i completed last week.

im so proud.

also i really like this band called the koreans. awesome electronic pop goodness. i have been listening to it none stop for the last two weeks in the car. that's just how i am.

work work work

let's just say that i din't have as productive of a day as i would have liked to. this is not to say that nothing got done, but i didn't finish up what i wanted to finish up. framed some new paintings and worked for a bit on another piece that i have fought with for a long while. it may just end up in the trash din. yes folks it happens from time to time. returned some e-mails some phone calls and searched endlessly for a cd that has gone missing. oh what a day. ended up at lux tonight and worked on some drawings for a collage piece i dug out today........onward.

it was a long weekend

wow...... am i glad that this weekend has come and gone. i tell you this one was nuts. lots of action all weekend long. first friday, scottsdale fashion week, lux.... a special thanks to my friend peter for working the studio and selling two pieces, with me at scottsdale fashion week spinning techno jams for people dressed like panda bears. yeah you heard me right. folks dressed like endangered cute little bears. did they pull it off? i'll leave that up to you to decide. i don't feel that i'm qualified to make such a judgement ........so in a nut shell that was it. life is magic. carry on.

i'll make this quick

hey folks out there in ambient studio land. this is a really cool band that you should check out. i stumbled across them with the itunes free song a couple of weeks ago. now i have all their stuff. do enjoy. see you all soon somewhere out there.

how did you spend your day mister.

oh my what fun i have had over the past few hours. cleaning out the garage here at home. YUK! i did it once before when it flooded and ruined 25+ years of sketches and other things that were housed in cardboard boxes. funny how the water went right for the stuff that was most important to me. oh well. that was a long time ago. i don't know how i could have amassed so much more stuff within that short period of time to fill it back up the way it is now. i simply just have this huge problem with not being able to toss junk out. i always think "i'll use this some day". that some day rarely comes though. so i got to about 1/4 of what needs to be done. for now that's gonna have to be it. tomorrow and wednesday are going to be full on studio days. i hope to paint and i have to redo the entire place for this friday. you know it is first friday this week so.....yeah... well....ok . keep me in your thoughts. it's lonely out there......

a happy halloween to you

new video

just because i love you

follow me to the flickr

i've posted a bunch of new photos on flickr. if you'd like...go take a look.

to be continued..................

click the link

sunday

hello-

it's been a very very busy week here at the studio. working on new stuff for first friday in two weeks. lots of DJ work too. i have 10 paintings up at melrose pharmacy here in phoenix. it's a cool retro drug store and i was asked by phoenix designer kelly hale to hang some of my work there. dropped the paintings off on friday night and they took care of the rest. i must say that seeing my work in a different setting, other than the studio is always nice. it's a cool place and i'm pleased with how it turned out. i'm still having fun with the movies that i have been posting for you here and on youtube. i , at some point i'm sure, will go beyond the palm trees that i have been shooting. that's just what's been outside my front door. yes i'm sure it will stick to the desert landscapes that i love so well. i find them to be rather enchanting to look at. alien and still. beautiful and quiet. that's the way i like it. i hope you'll agree. if not , well that's ok too. lord loves a workin' man. be well.

d.

the ambient studio

more movies for you

the ambient studio

today's playlist (sunday edition)

hello folks. this is a special edition of today's playlist for the simple reason that it is song based rather than album based. i did my sunday morning DJ gig at lux coffee bar here in phoenix and these are some of the songs that i was spinning today. if you weren't able to make it for some reason, like you live in a different part of the world, here are some of my favorites from the set.

1. maximillian hecker -today

2. cake - the distance

3. sun kil moon - carry me ohio

4. etta james - all i could do is cry

5. holly golightly - slowly but surely

6. augustus pablo - cassava piece

7. the cure - the snakepit

8. jeff buckley - last goodbye

9. fun boy 3 - summertime

10. pram - the owl service

don't ya wish you'd been there ?

flickr ?

did you know that i have a flickr account ? i bet you didn't. i mean why would you right. well i do. so now if you'd like, please follow me to the world of flickr. oooooooh ahhhhhhhhh.

now just click the " flickr " right up top here and.............

today's playlist

these days for me it's all been about electronic downtempo grooves. so here ya go with this installment of playlist for this day. wednesday the 14th of october.

1. styrofoam-blue skied an' clear

2. f.s. blumm- zweite mer

3. triosk- moment returns

4. loscil- stathcoma variations

5. air-love deluxe

6. phidelity-twilight audio

7. bonobo-animal magic

8. lindstrom & prins thomas II self titled

9. nightmares on wax- da feelin / calling

10. ulaan khol-I

there ya have it. most of you out there have copies of theses recordings right?

just cause i'm feelin' nice

here's another one to round out the day

quick. i haven't much time

here are a couple of photos for you to gander upon. i promise that i will be a good boy and post more stuff on a more semi-regular basis. you know the kind of things like playlists of the day and other ever so exciting information about what is going on with the art at the studio........ but for now the best i can do is a couple of pix that i found interesting. hope all is well with you and the world that you live within.

more photos from this weekend

the week that was......

good evening. it is now sunday and as i sit here awaiting the season finale of entourage i thought i'd just share a couple of lovely photos with you all out there. the weather has turned beautiful here in phx. i know i know i sound like an old man going on about the weather, but it has been such a welcome break from the overwhelming heat that was this last summer. people were out and about on first friday visiting all the studios and galleries out in the area. a good time indeed.for me it all started friday morning with my regular gig at lux. go see what they have up there on display now. i was blown away when i walked in the door. i found it to be rather striking. you have to see it in person to really get it. the whole tone had a profound influence on what i played there friday morning. we took a journey through space with twinkling bubbling glitches of beautiful electronic/ ambient music. i for one enjoyed it greatly, and since many of the folks that were there took the time to stop by and say thanks and that they loved the music i have to think i was not alone. anyway, it was a great way to start the weekend.

next up was first friday. i had about 15 new pieces on display at the studio and the response was great. the piece called "september" was one that i heard folks talking about the most. all of my new work has generally been inspired by my iphone photography that i have been doing driving around phx. i seem to spend a lot of time in my car. the results have been much to my liking. come by and see what i'm talking about. you can always call for an appointment. also while i'm at it. if you'd like to sign up for the email list, so you can receive updates about what's happening in the world of the ambient studio and my very own self. just click on the link to theambientstudio.com or danielshepherd.com and e-mail me and say hey i'd like to be included.

we had a enter to win for all of the email list folks of a framed sketch, and that will be something that we do from time to time, but to win you have to be on the e-mail list.

thirdly it was a big DJ weekend for me. i started to spin at "way cool hair" an awesome salon on mcdowell. it was great. tad and his staff are great. the place has a great vibe and judging by the amount of people that were there getting their hair done. it is the place to be. they were so busy. i'll be back there on the 24th of oct again to throw down some funky jams.

next stop was hulu's modern tiki on central. a new place that just opened up last week. again a beautiful space. do check it out. it was hoppin' saturday night. get a mai tai !!! the food is kickin' the vibe is laid back casual yet there is a touch of elegance to the place. the open fire pit on the patio is gonna become the place to hang this winter. the owners, chris and dana really gave this place their all and the result is a stunning dining and drinking experience. i'm spinning downtempo, chill, cool jazz, classic rock, esoteric electronic lounge music there ever saturday night starting at 8pm.

all and all it was a very busy fun weekend. i, of course didn't mean to carry on so long, but since i hadn't posted in a bit i thought................. hope you are all well out there and see you soon.

your pal- danny

from space

this is a small piece from the new collection of phoenix sky scene inspired work.

all of these, a total of about 15 pieces will be up at the studio this first friday.

i hope you can make it.

hey where ya been brother?

ok so it's been a couple of days since i did anything here and i know that you are all just dying to know what the heck has been going on. well i shall tell you. the grand ave festival was a smashing success and lots of people attended the event. it was nice to see all your bright shiny faces at the studio and wondering grand ave. during the event. i always like to be at the studio and have it opened during the daylight hours, big difference then at the evening and night time that the first fridays bring. different vibe.....and a good one at that. so yeah like i was saying. it was cool. sold a couple of pieces and made some new "friends" along the way. that, to me, is a successful afternoon. i hear that the fashion shows that they had during the evening were boffo !!! lots of folks said it was cool. i was in bed by then so i miss out on much of the night life. sad thing getting old. ok thanks to everyone that attended ........and. this is first friday coming up. so stop by and see what, again, is new at the studio. again at night...and again with my undying love for each and every one of you...oh yeah. this is a old sketch that i did in the front of a cargo van on the way reno a few years ago. in a snow storm. white out. it was scary to be it that...and er this was what came out of me during that drive. see you friday.

....tOmorRoW.....

tomorrow is the grand ave. festival. see you all there. stop by for a great, exciting, wonderful, awesome, amazing, sexy, depraved, swanky, fun, blissful, snappy, boss, keen, sweet whoopidoo .

the studio will be open all day for you. and only for you.

where did this come from ?

this is the cover on one of my sketchbooks. i love collage and have been compiling masses of old books and whatnot to some day soon, i hope, get back at it. oh if there were only 57 hours in each day. i love this piece. don't you ?

ambient studio promo film 03

well. how'd you spend your day ?

ah here's a glimpse into the day of a artist on the go.

1. up at 7. get kid to school.

2. off to coffee shop for a few. talk with all the wonderfully friendly people there for 1 hour.

3. hospice white dove thrift shop. got a cool book on bull fighting.

4. flo's thrift shop. got a cool book of arial photographs of san francisco.

5. to studio working by 11am.

6. kip stopped by and dropped off a fan that he had repaired.

7. kip's gone. continue working on small pieces for the upcoming grand ave. festival.

8. 2:30pm head home to make a salad ( that was shared with the cats) for lunch.

9. post some junk on facebook.

10. watch a little cnn.

11. continue work on the never ending music project.

12. go get kid from school.

13. family time.

these guys are pretty good

i just listened to the new remastered white album. man , two things that stick out in my simple lil' mind are the following. the remastered versions are totally rockin. you can indeed hear everything so very clearly it's like them beatles are right there, and that i remember each and every word of every song, that includes most of revolution #9 (that track would scare me as a child when jackie johannsen would play it. she wore go-go boots too. foxy !! ) but what a great record. you certainly don't need another guy saying this and that about the beatles, but i just had to let you know my glee in listening to it again in a new light. till my 10 year old told me to turn it down because she was "reading" reading. ha.

ahhhh it's been awhile

ok so i have been a sorry excuse of a blogger for the last few days. i hang my head in lowly shame. anyway here's the update of all that is good in the ambient studio world. i have been away why you ask? here's the scoop. i took a position as musical director of a cool new establishment here in phoenix and that has been my focus for the past few weeks, and all i have been working on for the last couple of days, but we are making progress with that . i spent some time in the studio today and it was time well spent indeed. i started several new things that i hope to have ready for the grand ave. festival on the 26th. hope is the key word there. i think i can do it. after that it was off to get fish tacos at two hippies on camelback. if you haven't been GO !! now it's back to music work for the remainder of the evening. you will hear from me soon !!! hope you all have been doing great things that make you happy and stuff and junk. your pal-

danny

today's playlist

we all got funky today. well for the most part that is. ok here's what i had going this fine fine day.

mungo's hi-fi -mary jane / herbalist

nino moschella- boom shadow

quantic- an announcement to answer

zook- music from the accumulator

heavy-do for you EP

hal singer and jeff gilson- soul of africa

abakus- we share the same dream

not a word.

i don't know why....

I used to be now I'm not what you see, Lord I try
And now it seems all those dreams have come true, but they're passing me by
Some fast talkin' mama for a dollar put a smile on my face
I'm drivin' all night
I end up in the same old place

My gypsy road can't take me home
I drive all night just to see the light
My gypsy road can't take me home
I keep on pushin' cause it feels alright

And who's to care if I grow my hair to the sky
I'll take a wish and a prayer cross my fingers cause I always get by
Some fast talkin' jerk for a dollar wiped the smile off my face
I'm drivin' all night
Just to keep the rat in the race

My gypsy road can't take me home
I drive all night just to see the light
My gypsy road can't take me home
I keep on pushin' cause it feels alright

Sometimes I feel so old
Got my lights burnin' bright
But I'm lookin' pretty sold
Sometimes I feel so cold
So cold
Let's go

Got to get on home
My gypsy road can't take me home
My gypsy road can't take me home, t-t-take me

My gypsy road can't take me home
I drive all night just to see the light
My gypsy road can't take me home
I keep on pushin' cause it feels alright

My gypsy road can't take me home
I drive all night just to see the light
My gypsy road can't take me home
I keep on p-p-pushin'
My gypsy road
My gypsy road
My gypsy road
My gypsy road
My gypsy road

sonic attack

ok ok so sometimes i listen to this old hawkwind record. i know my pal alan hates hawkwind and he just can't understand why, but hey this record was a 7th grade staple for me and my buddy mike warren. i'm not the worlds biggest hawkwind fan by any stretch of the imagination, but i do like the space ritual alive record and i still own the same copy that i had back the 70's. what can i say it rocks. sorry alan.

tuesday's playlist

neil young-zuma

brian eno- before and after science

rapoon- dream cycle

al green -let's stay together

marylin manson- least we remember

johnny cash- greatest hits

roland kirk- don't cry my beautiful edith

warning warning warning

we are experiencing a monsoon right now so i have to make this quick before everything blows up. worked that the studio most of the day on a few pieces for this friday. i have paintings in three different places. my studio. the paulina miller gallery and at my pal kate's awesome new place. modern cat studio. so come on out to grand ave. and see what's happeneing. this photo has nothing to do with this post i just liked it so much i wanted to share it with you.... ok bye folks.

phx photo time

hey kids time again to drop some of the awesome sights of what is phoenix arizona. if you are one of the people lucky enough to live here you know the beauty of this part of the planet. i love it here. the sunsets here are every bit as beautiful as anywhere in the world. it's a wonderful thing this desert home. i hope you like these shots. have a bitchin' summer.

your pal-

danny

thursdays playlist

rapoon- obscure objects of desire

muslimgauze- tandori dog box

shawn lee's ping pong orc.- strings and things

bibio-fi

the cure- head on the door

eno- before and after science

vashti bunyan-lookaftering

oh my goodness

soooooo i got some of these fancy iphone photograph filters the other day and man let me tell you that this is a way to spend a lot of time snapping pix with the ol' iphone device. this was taken right outside my front door the other day. if you ask me it looks right out of 1950. this i like. carry on.