Goffstown Alumni Tattoo Artist

A+rose+tattoo+done+by+GHS+graduate+and+professional+tattoo+artist+TJ+Schunemann

A rose tattoo done by GHS graduate and professional tattoo artist TJ Schunemann

Kiana Belanger, Staff Writer

On November 1st, 2021, TJ Schunemann, a GHS alumni, returned to Goffstown High School to talk to aspiring artists. Schunemann graduated from GHS in 2010. He then went to The New Hampshire Institute of Art for a year before starting his apprenticeship as a tattoo artist. Apprenticing not only looks good when opening your own shop, but is helpful when wanting to learn from an experienced artist. He was an apprentice for a year before opening his own shop in 2017. “I did my first tattoo about six months into my apprenticeship.” T.J says. “It was on my own thigh. It was unusual at first, but that is to be expected. Practice makes perfect.”

Being an artist takes patience, talent, and inspiration. Every artist has a different inspiration. Schunemann’s inspiration is “getting tattooed”. Another inspiration he said was the Goffstown art teachers, mentor,and other artist. These may be his inspiration but his dream to be an artist developed in high school. Schenemann’s talents is to design timeless art such as roses and skulls, and tattoo them onto his costumers. Schunemann uses applications to help understand what his customers want. A piece of advice Schunemann gives is to “see it through” when becoming an artist.

Criticizing is something people see every day. Schunemann uses the “kill em with kindness” technique against criticizing socials. Schunemann says that not only does the criticizing not bother him but that “they make me want to hold the door open for them.” Schunemann also mentions how supportive his parents were, and that he even tattooed them himself.