Sara Rose Kellenberger opened Lopez Island’s first public tattoo shop last fall after working out of a private studio since 2020.

“We are the first professional, female-owned tattoo shop in the San Juan Islands. It is a safe space for all genders, races and cultures,” said Kellenberger.

The shop in Lopez Village, called Soot and Bone, also features art, crystals, beauty care products and custom clothing. By this summer, it will have piercing, tarot and barber services.

“I chose the name to honor the history of tattoos as they were originally administered with soot and bone,” she explained. “They would extract the bone to make the needles and make soot from the burned remains of their hunts, ancestors or various plants. It was to embody the spirit and energy of the person or animal who passed.”

Kellenberger holds a flash event every Friday the 13th — a tradition in the tattooing world that is thought to have originated with sailors who adopted the “13” tattoo as a charm against bad luck. Soot and Bone’s doors will open at 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, to start taking names for those interested in getting a predesigned image inked that day.

“It’s a way for me to connect with the community so everyone can get a tattoo! It’s a soft entry into it,” she said.

Eight years ago, after more than a decade as a professional makeup artist in southern California, Kellenberger knew it was time to work with the human form in a new way.

“I did a lot of special effects and body painting, and I was way more into that than face makeup or weddings,” she remembers.

Through long hours and perseverance, Kellenberger became a renowned tattoo artist with a clientele base nationwide. Combining her love of fine art with getting to know people has been her dream career.

“Within the first month of my apprenticeship, I knew that this was what I was supposed to do,” she said. “Throughout my career, I had to fully commit to gain respect in the industry. I always tried to be the first to arrive and the last to leave and worked almost every day on my craft.”

Being a 28-year-old woman in a traditionally male-dominated profession during her apprenticeship was challenging and often demoralizing. Kellenberger was also a single mom working three jobs and living in a hotel room.

“It was one of the hardest things I have done,” she said. “And being a young female in the tattoo industry in the early 2000s was hard. Some men would judge you while sexualizing you. They would minimize your experience and point of view. There was a saying I would hear while working in various shops: ‘There is no sexual harassment in tattooing’ or ‘There is no HR in tattooing.’ Outside of those experiences, I was able to create a network with amazing tattoo artists from all over the world who have become like my family. As more and more female artists emerge, it is evolving and changing for the better. Shops have become safer, more inclusive and thoughtful places — especially in Washington.”

Kellenberger offers most tattoo styles (including freckles!) but specializes in illustrative color, realism, ornamental sacred geometry, psychedelic art and flora and fauna linework. Her style has been influenced by her ancestors, who immigrated from Mexico and Hungary.

“Both Mexican and Hungarian cultures are very nature-centered — they love the land, they are magical, very mystical, rooted in folklore and old traditions, so those subjects always spoke to me. You can see it in my art. A lot of the art I create has a metaphysical, mystical, Gothic, or sometimes witchy energy to it,” she said.

Kellenberger developed a following in Los Angeles and southern California, working at various shops and eventually her own private studio. Her parents moved to Lopez 10 years ago, and during the pandemic, she and her partner Dylan decided to follow.

“Dylan was a famous barber in LA — for decades he provided services to an extensive list of celebrities. During COVID, he had to close both of his barbershop locations. We needed somewhere calmer and quieter to recollect ourselves,” she said.

Initially, Kellenberger opened a private studio and worked primarily with clients who flew to Lopez from all over the country. Her studio was also a community performance venue called “The Space” where fringe and unique makers, artists, performers, DJs and bands could showcase or perform their projects.

“I make murals, digital art, clothing print design and paint on canvas. I have been a multi-medium artist my whole life. I believe creating and sharing art is a form of therapy,” she said.

A few years later, in October 2023, Kellenberger took a chance when a space in town became available. Clients travel to the island to receive ink, but it’s mainly during the tourist season.

“It becomes a vacation destination and sometimes a group experience with friends,” she explained.

In the off-season, the clientele consists of locals and those from the Pacific Northwest. Kellenberger has been teaching an apprentice, Trevor, who will accept clients and walk-ins by the spring. Currently, Soot and Bone, located at 265 Lopez Road, is by appointment only. Visit