The hum of the tattoo gun starts up as a client takes a seat in the big, comfortable tattoo chair. Her friends smile at her in encouragement as she braces herself for the first mark.
The client this time is Ashley Degree, 19, and she is getting her third tattoo, her second from Gigi.
While she is here today, Gigi will also be fixing Degree’s first tattoo: the work of another tattoo artist.
Jeannine ” Gigi” Belliveau has been tattooing professionally for more than 10 years, the last two of them out of her shop in North Haverhill, NH. Gigi does custom tattooing and piercing.
She promises to never repeat any tattoo.
“Gigi is a fantastic artist whose work is unparalleled,” said Karen Byrne, 20, human services, and a frequent customer of Gigi’s. “I have never left her shop unsatisfied. Not only does she have a fantastic aesthetic to her work, she also knows how to make a client feel at ease when getting tattooed. She is always honest and up front. I know that when I go get a tattoo from her, I look forward to not only the final result, but the experience itself. She is a consummate professional who has also become a good friend over the past three years I have known her. I would recommend her work to anyone.”
Tat-2-You by Jeannine is a favorite shop of many LSC Students, and even people who don’t have any tattoos yet look forward to getting something done by Gigi.
Jennifer Peart, 21, a senior in human services, had never gotten any tattoos or piercings from Gigi but says “I look forward to getting my first piece done by Gigi, most of my friends have gotten stuff from her and they all trust her, I hear nothing but good things about her, her apprentices and the shop in general. So I really can’t wait to get something done there I will be getting my first piece hopefully by the end of May and will definitely use the discount.”
The discount Peart mentioned is a special open to only LSC students. Until the end of May, any student who goes to her shop will get a 25 percent discount on anything done, tattoo or piercing. All you have to do is show the artist your student I.D. and you get the discount.
After about half an hour the sound of the tattoo gun stops and Gigi has finished both of Degree’s wrist tattoos.
A smile lights up Degree’s face as she looks at her new and improved tattoos. “
I love them,” shesays. “I always love Gigi’s work, she does and amazing job with her artwork and brings it to life on a person’s body, she’s amazing.”