Meet Daniel Shepherd of Too Fang Skinny International in Central

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Shepherd.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Daniel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Started drawing with my great-grandmother when I was I wee lad in the 60’s. I’d sit on her lap and we’d play a game where one of us would draw a shape or “squiggle” as we called it, and the other guy had to make something outta it. We’d play for an hour, probably drove her nuts, it’s all I ever wanted to do. I found it to be great fun. Kinda just developed from there, after that, just drawing on everything I could. My desk at school, my school work, other kids, school work. I was a big note passer in school. Make a kid laugh in class, that sorta grade school nonsense, I was big on that. You can entertain yourself for hours with a number 2 pencil.

I just kept at it. Always took art classes through school, but it was mainly to just have time to draw. I never really did the assignments, to me, it was just a place to draw whatever. I got away with it somehow. Teachers were nice to me.

So… I started painting cause I wanted art on the walls and I couldn’t afford to buy it, so I thought id do it myself. Figured I could paint whatever I wanted since I was doing it. time passed, folks would come over, see my work and they liked it. friends, family, this that, whoever (I know the family really doesn’t count since your mom isn’t gonna be a very good critic), but I got the ol’ you should take those somewhere from folks, so I did. started off in the coffee shop, record store, cafe circuit and every time I hung my work somewhere I’d sell some. I thought that was nice. I just kept at it and flopped around from this to that, haphazardly getting shows and stuff. Networking through friends was a great source for finding new places to hang my work.

One day, I was hired to DJ (I do that too) an opening at Willo North that was on 7th ave. Here in Phoenix at the time and I met curator Nicole Royse. We just sorta started talking and I liked her so I humbly mumbled ” you know, I’m an artist blah blah blah…” she asked to see some of my work and from that point on we have worked together on a whole bunch of shows, the first one was “an idea of why” at Willo North. I remember it stormed that night and ripped the awning off the building across the street, very dramatic. I think what I’m most proud of, at this point in time is a collage show called “the dainty little freak show” about 6 years ago that Nicole curated. That one and then a couple years later, we worked together on “pretty/creepy: the dainty little freak show part 2”. At chartreuse, I loved doing the work and also achieved a long time goal of, if you google the word freak my name comes up. A career maker for sure.

With Nicole as my agent, I have consistently sold a continuing series of minimal acrylic paintings on wood panels called the color boxes. Recently, I have returned to working on canvas in a larger scale than I have been working with in years and I’m about to start a series of collages for a long time collector.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Hard question. yes? no? beats me. I just do it. I don’t know really. I don’t think I’m struggling, at least not with my work.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with too fang skinny international – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m an artist working in the fields of minimal abstractions and collage. I paint and do collage art. I play guitar in a couple of ambient projects and make solo ambient pieces that I post to my too fang skinny SoundCloud. I also dabble in animation. I really don’t know what I’m doing, but I have a thing called “your friend Walter” on Instagram that I’m excited about. one minute or less uplifting, positive vibe animations that I hope make folks chuckle and or smile. You know laughter is the best medicine, right. Do you know that? I’ve worked with a paranormalist and held a seance which was really fun. I must be proud of everything I do or I wouldn’t show anyone. Lol, what sets me apart from others is the same thing that sets others apart from me. I think we’re all different but yet were a lot alike. Maybe style choices?

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Continue with my work, painting, collage, music, and animation. I met this cat through Instagram in the UK and he asked if I’d like to contribute a track of my ambient stuff to a record he’s putting out about aliens coming to earth and screwing everything up. I’m all for that, not aliens messing junk up, but having a too fang skinny track on vinyl. I’m looking forward to that. Also, I was working with a ballerina for a bit of a free-form dance thing that due to scheduling conflicts kinda fell apart, I hope that project reappears sometime soon.

Contact Info:

• Website: toofangskinny.com
• Phone: 602-400-3920
• Email: toofangskinny@gmail.com
• Instagram: toofangskinny or yourfriendwalter
• Facebook: too fang skinny or your friend walter

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