Cathlamet fire captain and tattoo artist sets up shop

Cathlamet resident Stefi Hallstrom owns Stoneriver Tattoo, Cathlamet's only tattoo shop, and has lived in town since 2022 ,. After moving here from Everett, Wash., to be with her boyfriend, Nick Sevald, Stefi was searching for community and found it at the fire station where she and Nick volunteer. "It takes a certain kind of person to be willing to fight fires, especially for no money," says Stefi, who describes that type of person as "empathetic and a little crazy." Stefi was recently voted as one of two fire captains at the Cathlamet Fire Department and was one of the responders at a residential fire on Jacobson Road earlier this month.

She and Sevald live near Main Street with their blended family and have been local business owners since last year. Nick handles the more boring parts of the business - like taxes and inventory - while Stefi focuses on the fun part: tattooing. She began her tattoo journey in 2020 when an internship dissolved, propelling her into drawing for hours on end each day. She built her portfolio during the pandemic until things started opening up again, then entered into a tattoo apprenticeship or, as she would describe it, "the dance of the apprenticeship fairy." Tattooing made art lucrative for Stefi, and her boyfriend could see how talented she was, so they started the business together. The two have transformed a small travel trailer into a full-blown tattoo studio based in Cathlamet.

The long-term goal for Stoneriver Tattoo is to have a "brick and mortar" with employees: people she can take on as apprentices and then mentor. "I always wanted to own a business," she said. "I want to be a good boss." Stefi's prepping process before a tattoo is methodical: sterility and cleanliness are of the highest priority for her. The mobile tattoo shop has its own unique vibes, with artwork adorning its walls, a framed bat skeleton in the back, and a constant stream of progressive rock playing over a hidden speaker in the cabinet. Stoneriver is derived from a translation of Hallstrom, the name Stefi took from her Swedish grandpa. Visiting the shop's site, stonerivertats.com, one can find more information about Stefi's background, check out her tattoo portfolio, and book a consultation. The tattoos Stefi has drawn up have set prices, but her prices for special pieces are $50 an hour for drawing and $65 an hour for tattooing. Consults are free. For more info, visit Stefi on Facebook (Worldhopperink) or Instagram (stoneriver_tattoo), or call 360-562-0845.

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