Fast Eddy

from Issue 06 - Featuring the DentistPDX

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@dentistpdx

THE DENTIST aka... Fast Eddy

He rides motorcycles, He is best friends with peewee herman, he has seen the shining 119 times, he loves his skateboard, he makes a mean pancake, he is the king of kareoke, He is a portland based tattoo artist, and never fails to make the people around him know that they are loved.

@seanbenesh

Our monthly goal with the rider of the month interview is to unearth people’s stories in a unique way that gives them the chance to share their special corner of the world.

Motorcycles and coffee are conduit to lifelong friendships and memories and more, but it’s the people behind these things that make the community truly amazing.

This month we are featuring our good friend, next door neighbor, and well known Portland artist Ed.

Enjoy!

LETS START WITH AN INTRODUCTION. WHO ARE YOU? WHere are you from?

Fast Eddy AKA: Dental Bonez AKA: Dentist AKA: Ed

I’m from the Chicago area, more specifically... Small Town, USA.

@dentistpdx

6 years back, a friend of mine randomly moved here. They were going through a tough time adjusting to a new place, so I offered to move out here (Portland) to keep them company. I was also going through a stale period in my career, having just wrapped up my experience at the Art Institute of Chicago.

HOW DID YOU BECOME “THE DENTIST”?

My father is a dentist. Over years of hanging out in his dental office and getting to play with dentures, molds and diagrams of teeth, I found that correlating imagery was creeping into my drawings and decor. My father is also the kind of dentist that you wanted to go back and see. Precise, gentle and thorough, with multiple awards for having the highest clinical rating in his field. This is what truly inspired me to translate a high level of care and craft into a medium (tattooing) that for so long, I feel has not held up such standards. Growing up in the tattoo community of the Midwest, things definitely took a side bar when it came to quality and perfection. Forever, this had me thinking I could never become a tattoo artist for that reason alone. That is, until I moved to Portland and realized there DID exist such a care for the craft and a desire for quality. I knew exactly what I needed to do to bridge the gap in this field.

@thelonius_punk

When you look back on chapters of your life What was a defining moment for your career as a creative?

After being accepted at the Art Institute of Chicago, I was Introduced to professors that made me think of the bigger picture around marketing oneself. They educated me on how to make a difference by standing out! When I moved to Portland in 2017 and began the pursuit of my current career, I had clarity on how to make it happen. Meeting the right people, slapping stickers everywhere around the city and hanging out with people in a similar place career-wise, all dramatically impacted my story. Learning tips and tricks for reaching my goals have played a huge role in my career success.

Can you share a quote that has helped guide you?

When I was 14 years old, I was standing at the top of a half pipe at a skatepark in my neighborhood, completely nervous to drop in. This older skater said to me, “don’t think, just do it.” He then went on to explain how I already knew the physics of it all, and that I just needed to block out the worry and trust myself. To this day, his words have helped encourage me to commit to the moments that make me nervous by trusting my gut.

KC Weimann @thelonius_punk

@dentistpdx

@thelonius_punk

HOW have motorcycles impacted your life?

It unlocked the wild child in me! It’s a feeling, a focus, a state of mind, a persona. And most of all, therapy on 2 wheels! Overall, it just makes me feel like daft punk!

When Did you start riding motorcycles?

2019 technically, but I‘ve always been riding mopeds. Motorcycles though, they really unlock something inside you that you didn’t know existed!

What was your first motorcycle?

A 1982 Honda CB450 that had been laid down numerous times before I owned it. I spent far more money to get her back to 100% than the bike even cost initially. Overall, she was great. The ‘82 cafe racer of my dreams...for now that is.

What was the most memorable ride you have been on?

May 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. We were riding out in the middle of Nowhere, Arizona, just outside of Phoenix. Sam and I rode for about 3 miles on this dirt, service road before we found an abandoned village. Shortly after, we found a taco stand on the side of the road and to this day, it was the best food I could have asked for!

Is there a trip or ride you are dreaming about taking?

A solo trip down the coast of California, and then back up to the top of Washington! I want to camp along the way, just a man and his machine. The open road and the unknown are a dream I want to embrace this way, one day.

What advice would you give to people who want to start riding but don’t know where to start?

Get an Enduro! I’m a huge advocate of the duality of on-road and off-road riding. I would also say, get something that you feel comfortable moving around, and something that can take off without you if you give it the gears. A bike that’s not too heavy, but nimble is the key! I wish that in the beginning, I would have looked into Enduros. However, we all have to start somewhere!

What is a word of advice you live by?

Treat everybody with kindness. My British mother embedded this mindset into me beginning as a young boy. The reality of life is that you never know where somebody is at. They may be showing you one thing, but you never really know what’s going on in somebody’s life behind closed doors. Having kindness in your heart and demonstrating compassion moving forward in any situation with someone is only going to create positive repercussions.

@thelonius_punk

What is it about portland that makes it home for you?

When you look back on life what was a defining moment for you as a creative?

When I was in high school, I had the realization that if I produced some form of art daily, it could only grow into something of refined quality. For me, it started with t-shirt screen printing and has transformed into more diverse freelance, graphic design projects. Eventually, this process turned into tattoo design requests and eventually, it lead to me figuring out the process and medium of tattooing itself. My realization back in high school ultimately lead to me landing me in my current path as a tattoo artist.