As you all know on May 17th 2006 David Heydn (owner of I AM Tattoos) was arrested for growing marijuana for his personal use in his home, for the second time in a year.
Due to a huge financial deficit created by the actions of those who sought to destroy everything David has worked hard to build, we have created a legal aid account to help raise funds necessary for his lawyer fees, legal fees, and fees necessary to feed the "System".
Surely, if the stories were true in the police reports and the media stories about the so called “marijuana ring”, we would not need to set up this fund at all. We all know that I AM Tattoos.com was built purely out of passion, hard work, and sweat and not illegal monies. So, we do not want to see a tattoo studio of this caliber fall because of the vindictiveness of others.
We have a goal of $3205.00 left to be met. If you wish to make a contribution by way of bank transfer, the account number at Bank of America is #004351800353. Or you may call the studio at 757-827-1919. All help and donations are greatly appreciated.
Also on July 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, we will be having a "Feed the System" benefit. All artist rates will be discounted over 30% on that weekend. All proceeds will go to the cause. We will not be making appointments for that weekend, we will be on the first come first served basis for each day. Make sure to take advantage of the lowered rates and help a great cause at the same time. Thank you so much for all your support!
Awesome news at I AM Tattoos, David Heydn has been reunited with one of his missing daughters, Jamie Nicole Heydn, after 17 years. And now he has just found his other daughter, Jayd Alannah Heydn, after 11 years. For more info go to the "ABOUT ME" page!
If you want a quality, original tattoo and you have a hard time waiting for David Heydn's schedule to clear up, now is the time. Just call or stop by at I AM Tattoos.com and set up some time with Sean Sweeney or with Thomas (Beans) Palminteri.
We still have our gift certificates available for all of you who want to help out their family or friend receive some tattoo time with the best in Hampton Roads.
We want to thank all of our customers, supporters and advertisers who made it possible for us here at I AM Tattoos.com. We couldn't do it without you! We appreciate you backing us up and for all of your continued support.
Then there are a couple of issues I thought I should quickly clarify, for those in question or especially for those who have rumored that; A) There is no one good enough to work in my studio and; B) that I, David Heydn, have a "God" complex.
To answer; A) The rumor simply isn't true. The fact is that everyone who has applied for a job here and got denied a position are the one's bitchin' only because their work really isn't good enough or their attitude sucked! I AM Tattoos has set the standard in the Hampton Roads area for quality custom tattooing, sanitization, and sterilization, and I will not lower my standards to make some "wannabe, can't draw and don't know it" a tattooist. I realize that we all gotta start somewhere, but come on, when you have a "get 'em in and get 'em out" shop, 90% or better of those "tattooists" don't give a damn about your artwork and I won't have it in my studio. B) about the "God" complex, well folks, it is not a complex!
Don't forget, the holidays are coming and we have gift certificates available to purchase for your family and friends. Hello everyone and a BIG THANK YOU!!! for the great times and support all this past weekend for the Hurricane Katrina Relief Benefit.
We can't say thank you enough to all the people and sponsors who helped us with this event. Thank you FM 99 for your continued support, as always we appreciate all you do for us. Thank you Harbour Graphics for the great t-shirts donated for the cause. Thank you Zeros for the awesome subs you fed us. Thank you Bull, there would have been no suspensions without you. Thank you Chuck, you'd make a great counter person. Thank you Frank and Nikki, you were both a great help. Thank you Dre and Cris for your great picture taking.
We had a great time this weekend with the benefit, our artists and piercer worked very hard non-stop all weekend and all the proceeds are going to the Louisiana SPCA and to the Louisiana American Red Cross. Each will be be recieving a check for $2,215.29! David did his first suspension at the event, which had the whole crowd in awe. He also pulled his '79 Caddy 13 feet with four hooks from his back. It all was very exciting and intense. You will be able to see some pictures from this event on our "Showcase" page, please be sure to check them out.
Again, thank you to everyone who came by and showed support for the cause this weekend, it was awesome! Look in David's Gallery IV and Extensive Art II for some new pictures. Also, in Sean's Galley I and his Black and Greywash. We will be adding more each day.
We had a great turn out for our Grand Opening. Thanks again for coming and showing your support. Our new Studio is running smoother than ever. We have a new artist, Melanie Evans. Melanie is still working on her portfolio, but we will have it out as soon as possible. Give us a call or stop in to see what is going on. Check out the new updates to our website. It is exciting! Our Studio now offers body piercing, tattoo removal (non-laser method), new merchandise, jewelry, and membership awards. We have a lot of stuff going on, so come in and check out the progress as it starts to form. In other news, we are also looking for quality custom tattoo artists to work at a quality custom tattoo shop. Those seeking a job in custom tattooing, need to submit names, photos, and phone numbers via e-mail only. Only the talented and serious artists need apply.
I AM TATTOO'S - HAMPTON STUDIO GRAND OPENING!!! FRIDAY JUNE 20TH 4PM TO 6PM.
Hey, if you haven't heard, we finally got a studio! Look out for the I AM Tattoos.com logo. It soon will be invading your town. Also, listen to 96X for our commercials and our Grand Opening party. The Grand Opening will be this Friday, June 20th from 4-6 PM. Listen for more information or call us! It will be a fun time so all of you have to come and support us. We dedicate this promotion to all of you who have continued to believe in us and give us all of your helping hands. It is those hands that is holding us up in the spotlight now.
Check out our showcase. You will find a special tattoo for a special individual that was touched by an angel. This display of art had touched many of us who have seen it. It is a portrait of a very beautiful little girl and although her life was short, you can definitley see that she served her purpose when you see the intensity in her Father's eyes as he recieved his tattoo. I will tell you what; David injected more than just ink with this tattoo. When the tattoo was over with, there was no doubt a change in this man's aura. It was as if a huge load lifted off him and he was finally able to be free and at peace. The tattoo won "Tattoo of the Day" at the Tampa Tattoo Festival.
There will be a lot of changes and additions within our company, bear with us. We are adding new merchandise, artists, and artwork, so stay with the website and keep checking up on us to watch our progression. For now, look at the full website, there will be additions in Galleries, Black and Gray, Coverup, Tats in Progress, Extensive work, and Publications.
We have finished another year of touring and a GREAT year it was! It was a great last show of the year at "The Largest Tattoo Show on Earth" where Krissy's tattoo on her stomach took 1st Place - Best Color Tattoo, out of 60 some contestants, male and female, small, medium, and large! It can't get any better than that! New pics are now in Galleries 4 and 5. The new Tour Schedule is posted and we have a couple of new showa this year that we'll be adding.
Galleries 1-8 have been gutted and I have condensed them into the first two and a half Galleries to make room for new blood. Art, in whatever form, is very progressive in its own right. The more you put into it the better you get. I see that in my artwork from year to year. Nothing remains the same except change. Even the logo has been refined and redesigned to work with white and black backgrounds. Much more conceptual, also. There is quite a load of pics to come that have not yet been formatted, so check back in.
No, I didn't forget that I have a website. And even if I did forget, there's so many of you to remind me! I really appreciate everyone of the letters I recieve each day about how pleased you are with the website. Thank you! We just got back from the "Forged in Ink" show in Reading, PA. It was good (as always) to see Scott and Leslie again, and to "Nice Guy" Billy Powell and his Badass Crew, well, JAGERMEISTER!!!!!!!
Man, did you see that guy with that full sleeve of ocean life?! Man, I'll bet he was really feelin' it! It wasn't all that bad now, was it Mark? Hey Mark, next time you go in front of the judges you might want to go a little slower for them because the general population of the show were pretty sure they missed something! But I'll give it to them, I believe that was the first time EVER a portrait of Janis Joplin has been done in Greywash!!!
To everyone else, give me a day to show you this piece. I absolutely had a blast splashin' ink up and down and back up Mark's arm. You could tell Mark sure was into it by the way he made his face do all those weird shapes and sounds. For a starter, go to the SHOWCASE and check out one of our heroes from the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the tattoo he got as soon as he got off the ship!
More tats are on the way this whole week, I promise!!!! Remember to check the UPDATES to find out exactly what has been added.
AM-JAM Tattoo Expo 2002 was a blast! The last time I did the AM-JAM Tattoo Convention was in 1994. The show has been reduced in size, length, and number of vendors, but the dynamics of a great show still remains. My personal point of view on the judging of the contests, well, it could use a little more quality control. All in all, though, it was a well organized party and it was a pleasure returning to the show. I also had the pleasure of tattooing a man by the name of Mark Williams, who had been trying to get some work from me since or before 1994. We had a fun filled 2 days of setting up a full sleeve ocean scene on Mark's right arm. I'll get that on the website as soon as possible. It is a must see tattoo! Thanks Mark, for waiting so long. Good things come to those who are patient, and that "good thing" is now on your arm!
We receive a lot of e-mail from people who have a great apprecation for my artwork and are considering traveling to get some work, and that is fine. I will also let you know that if you are looking for a substantial amount of work, that we are just as eligible for travel to where you may be within the regions of central and eastern borders of the United States. Just e-mail me if you are interested in doing this.
One more Thank you to Frank, who heads up the AM-JAM show. He knew that in these times, it was a bit rough getting the payment for the booth in on time and still held a booth for me with only a confirmation until I got there. Thanks Frank, and we had a great time and we'll see you again in May, AM-JAM 2003!
The tour schedule is being built up again for the new year. We have a concern that deals with taking care of those who get inked here in hometown and over extending ourselves to the road. Most of the time a show will only be one weekend a month, amd usually covers about 3-4 days. For those of you at home here, you have the rest of the month to get work. Please view the tour schedule properly and don't get confused and think that I am gone from January to May, and you can't get in until we get back! Procrastination doesn't get you an appointment or any ink.
Happy New Year, and to anyone that knows Heather and Gary, tell them I love and miss them both dearly!
Some new reading just to let you know we're still kickin' here! I still have more photos coming, so stay tuned! By the way, there are several people out there that have unfinished custom pieces on them. Because they are custom, I have a personal interest in seeing them completed. I would also like to finish these bad ass tats so they can be put in the Galleries. If you have lost the phone numbers, please e-mail me and we'll get you hooked up.
We hope everyone had a great Christmas! We sure did!
Also, a note to those who might be in a position to help, we have been looking for a building, high and low, to set up business, since the legalization of tattooing became effective in Virginia Beach on July 1 of 2001. We believe that there should be no reason why the surrounding areas should be denied the access to such a wonderful gift from the art world as is demonstrated throughout this website.
The tattooing I do comes from "Something" way inside me. That "Something" is passionate in its ability to create. I believe that's what draws certain individuals to my artwork. Beyond the line work, between the shading and blending of multiple custom colors of my tattoos, lies an energy that is a common denominator to the purpose of our existence. This is what makes a tattoo personal. This is what makes an ordinary tattoo a special tattoo. Many tattooists minimize the art through the exploitation of commercialism. Notice, I said "exploitation of". In this world, commercialism is a necessity. It is its' means and its' end that I hold under scrutiny (it is a question of balance). They are more interested in the dollar they bring in than in the tattoo that goes out, never understanding that if you take care of your art, your art will take care of you. We know for a fact that there are those in the Beach area that are not satisfied with either the atmosphere, the attitude, or the artistic qualifications of some shops already in the area. That is a clear reflection on those who tattoo in such regarded shops. This is what stains the minds of those who would otherwise be open to the art form with judgemental thoughts. Most people get a tattoo for a personal reason. The studio and its artists should reflect that need back to its' patrons. This is the type of studio we believe is needed here in Virginia beach. If you have a building for lease or know of someone who does, please contact me through e-mail. The building must be in a B-2 business zone and at least 600 ft. (2 football fields) away from residential or school. We are looking for a minimum of about 2000 sq. ft. for working space.
Updates are now being logged. Updates can be viewed by clicking on the Update notice at the top of this page or the new Update button in the menu. As always, your patience with my "high speed" updating is greatly appreciated. Not much going on here aside from the usual, just very busy. I want to say thank you to so many from all over the world who have dent e-mails of appreciation and inspiration for the artwork.
We hope that everyone had a good Thanksgiving. And may everyone make it through the rest of the Holidays alive and well.
Before I get started about what we're doing, we would like to take the opportunity to salute and honor all those who have, in life or death, given dearly, during these times in this great country.
We have just finished a three-in-a-row tattoo show road trip and we have to say that we saw America in a way never seen by us before. We left Virginia Beach, Virginia for Denver, Colorado on Sept. 9th, and while at my parents house in Columbia, Missouri on the morning of Sept. 11th, we watched the devastating blow that was delivered to the United States. As we watched in semi-disbelief, with our hands covering our mouths, I witnessed my own "backyard" all of a sudden, getting much bigger! Its timing in my mind couldn't have been any more ironic. I jad not seen my parents for almost 20 years. It was, in a word, reuniting. And that is what we saw all across America as we continued to travel-reuniting. Every toll road booth and any vacant construction sign was lit up with "UNITED WE STAND" and "GOD BLESS AMERICA". We are used to being prejudged by quite a number of people when we travel, but that type of ignorance seemed to be much more scarce this time. People were actually opening up conversations with us.
I hope that your mind can conceive a part of what I have just shared with all of you because I really don't think I need to go on about what so many others have also witnessed. One thing is for damn sure, I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!
There is a lot to say about the Denver, Chicago and Meadowlands shows and how things went and I would like to go into depth about the first tattoo my father now has and how my mother is the greatest! I want to tell you about the fantastic artist my brother has become and about our visit to the sacred White Buffalo and the awesome lightning shows we saw going across Kansas at night and my first session of laser removal. There's so much to share and so little space and time.
This is a tattoo gallery website and now I must get to what everyone is waiting for, new artwork!! Not everything is ready but I'll let you find what's new as you browse around. In a few more days there will be an addition of two pages dedicated to the sailors of the USS Donald Cook and the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Much more to come so keep checking back in the next week and watch the update times. For starters, check out the Showcase.
Well, the other half of the court case also ended in a dismissal. Again, Thank you Universe, Mr. Larry Slippo (my attorney), and to all those close. We are heading up to Morgantown, West Virginia for the N.R.M.L. rally this weekend. We'll be slingin' ink and rockin' all weekend as usual! Lofe is good!
New "Family and Friends" pics are up and I still have quite a few more pics of tattoos on the way. As you can see, the format of the website is undergoing some changes also. We're busy at the moment gearin' up for the show in the Meadowlands and looking forward to getting the show back on the road.
Many thanks to all who are supportive through e-mails. There is a guest book on its way and also a new "Family and Friends" pics. I still have quite a few more pics of tattoos on the way. As you can see, the format of the website is undergoing some changes. A Gallery of "Black & Greywash" is in the works and on its way.
A judge in the Virginia Beach Court system overruled a 38 year ban on tattooing on March 26, 2001. The city council was given the political means to regulate zoning and health codes. With all the maturity and itelligence the council could muster up while in debate with themselves (hmmmm?) and welcoming very little outside info that would enhance their own visions and understandings, they have so tightly zoned everything that its almost makes it not worth doing things anyway. Just the way they wanted it! The new ordinances became effective July 1, 2001.
April 4, 2001, I seperated from my wifr due to her chaotic and self-destructive nature and issues too consuming for me to handle. She couldn't handle my tattoo lifestyle or the way I handle life. After I had left she swore that she would do whatever possible to destroy my life. Threatening phone calls, stalking, harrassments, obsessive behaviors and compulsive lies forced me to apply a restraining order against her. Never making contact with her so as not to fuel the fire, she retaliated by having an order placed against me. An issue of control, no doubt, or lack of! This would then end any rights to see or speak to the children. It just gets more twisted than I need to share.
On May 30, 2001, the police sent in an undercover officer whose contact was made through e-mail. This gentleman was adorned with a couple of decent tattoos of the tribal motif of which he discussed adding to. He asked for a price, I gave him one. A knock on the door gave way to five officers inside my house taking all my machines, tubes, grips, and needles. They "appeared" sincere as they apologized for doing their "job" while taking the equipment away. It was enough to cause me to cancel three major roadshows and fall into a financial bind that was not to be expected. It was a hard hit, but with friends I have, all was not lost. Thanks to all my faithful inksponges (you know who you are!) at home and abroad! And special thanks to Juliette and her Mother!
The purpose of the roadshow tour we are continually scheduling, was designed to compensate for that which was not possible in Virginia Beach, in order to maintain a living and to pull us out of the underground scene and into the mainstream, where my artwork belongs. We have become an icon that is recognizable by word of mouth to almost anyone on Hampton Roads area and even more on the World Wide Web. We recieve appreciated e-mails everyday from people all over the world who write just to commend us on the artwork or the positive influence it has had on their lives. To all of you. Thank you!
I went to court this morning. Case DISMISSED!!! Sincerely, I must say, I displayed my excitement today in the courtroom after the judge dismissed the illegal tattooing charges against me. My happinesswas in no way connected to the fact that all the manhours, manpower and time that was put into this by the police department for the last two months for a class 3 misdemeanor came down to a simple case dismissal. For a need to be known, my excitement was momentarily curbed as I noticed that the officers in charge were not excited as I was just to know that I would be getting my equipment back. Especially when they "appeared" to be compassionate towards the idea of having to take it in the first place. My apologies to anyone who was there and viewed my passion as anything other than that. It's my job!!! Thank you Universe, for upholding TRUTH, and thank you to my lawyer, Mr. Larry Slippow and our new friend, Kelly. By the way, because of all this, I have added a new page titled "Homepage Journal".
Despite the opressions previously mentioned the last few days, we are still rockin'!!! To Inkjammer, Dave Lukeson, and his crew at Icon Tattoo, and to Cliff and Paul, many thanks for all the help! And to those whom it may concern, this is NOT Russia, Red China. This is AMERICA! As long as tatooing is done professionally and a sterile atmosphere and procedures are maintained, no one has the right to tell anyone they cannot perform the art of tattooing. Tattooing is NOT a crime (if done correctly), but government of any form that suppressed and oppressed its people in any way IS!
There are new tats in "Galleries 4 & 5", "Portraits" and the "Showcase". I have prepared 4 more Galleries and more new tats on the way! Stay tuned.
