Portfolio of Work
Please visit my Instagram profile directly to see my latest work!
– Portland, Oregon –
Welcome to the website for Rachel Gilbert, AKA "Inkstress".
Please visit my Instagram profile directly to see my latest work!
October 2024 - Rachel is excited to announce that she and Ashton Allen have opened their very own shop Witching Hour Tattoo which is located at 1960 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Suite 102, Portland, OR 97214.
Operating in Southeast Portland, the shop is part of the Hawthorne District and is walking distance to many shops, restaurants, cafes, bars in the neighborhood.
Hello there and thank you so much for taking an interest in my work!
Please fill out the Consultation Request Form. Give me about a week to reply, I will respond to everyone who reaches out even if I'm not interested in the project.
If I'm interested in taking on your project we will set up a time to discuss the details of your project. In-person consultations are always preferred, unless you are reaching out from a long-distance and then I'm happy to make arrangements via email.
I look forward to chatting soon!
I've prepared answers to most of the questions generally asked about the tattoo process. Please click on any of the questions below to view the answer. If there is anything I have not covered, please feel free to email me.
As of December 2023 I'm changing up my process for taking on new requests.
Previously: My books would be closed until I announce a specific Request Day when interested folks could submit their ideas, and then after that single day they would close again. Most of the time the form would only be available for 15-30 minutes before I reached my quota. I'm attempting to do away with this method and replace it with something less stressful than everyone racing to submit a consultation requst.
New process: If you are interested setting up a consultation for a tattoo, go to my Appointments page. I will be periodically activating my Consultation Request Form and leaving it open for longer periods of time. I'm no longer giving out specific dates/times to submit your requests, you just have to check the page and see!
When the form is down you are still welcome to email me a brief description of the tattoo you want so we can make sure that I'm a good fit for your idea and if it's worth waiting for me to be available. If I feel like I can not accommodate you and I know of a trusted colleague who might be better suited to your project, I'll be happy to point you in their direction.
Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to view my recent work.
I work by appointment only and am not available to accept walk-ins. Typically tattoo sessions are scheduled between 10am and 6pm - I do not schedule evening appointments. Generally I book appointments Monday-Saturday each week with weekend dates typically reserved for out-of-town clients. Sundays are reserved for my day off (everyone needs some downtime).
My hourly rate is $180/per hour. I happily accept most major US credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) and cash is always appreciated but never mandatory!
If I think that your proposed project is intricate or complicated enough that an in-person consultation will be useful, I will schedule an in-person meeting at the studio. If I feel that we can easily arrange all the necessary details via email, I'll do that instead.
Once you've heard back from me after submitting a new project request, the following steps will occur:
Your deposit reserves your appointment dates and will be put towards the final total of your tattoo cost. I will roll over a deposit into your next appointment when your project will require multiple sessions to complete and it be deducted from the final payment at the end of the project.
Deposits are non-refundable - You lose your deposit if you:
A) Are a "no-call no-show" to an appointment.
B) Cancel your tattoo appointment with less than 48 hrs notice without a very good excuse.
C) In the event you are not satisfied with how the design is progressing and you cancel the project before your first tattoo appointment, the deposit is put towards my time to prepare the drawing.
Please show up dressed comfortably with clothing that will allow me to access the area getting the tattoo and try to be as rested and relaxed as possible. Please shower before your appointment and try to avoid strong smelling soaps, perfumes or colognes as we will be working very close to eachother for several hours.
Being excited or nervous is perfectly normal, but please try not to be sleepy, hungry, or hungover. Get some rest, eat some food, bring snacks for later in the day, and feel free to have your normal morning coffee or take something for a headache. Just be ready to hang out for the day!
The Ladd's Addition neighborhood has tons of good safe street parking, and the spaces right outside the shop on SE 20th are absolutely usable (do not mind the 1 Hr signs, we don't!) There are also angled parking spaces on the opposite side of the building near Temple of Hair on SE Elliot (again, do not worry about the time limit, they do not check).
I will go over thorough instructions in person after your session. We can discuss alternative healing methods if adhesive is a problem for you. Generally I use the products and established methods of SecondSkin™ - please take a look at their website for detailed instructions.
In addition, I've prepared a detailed aftercare instruction page for you to just in case all you have questions afterwards. In the event that your tattoo doesn't look like it's healing correctly or you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Skin is a weird medium, you can do everything right with the healing process and still need a little touch up here or there, it's just how skin is!
Touch ups that are simply due to the natural course of healing (ie not because the client did something ill-advised) are free for up to 1 year after the tattoo is complete. After the first year I charge half my normal price for touch-ups (only $85/hr instead of $180). Just email me and let me know you require a little visit.
There is no specific timetable for when you are "supposed" to get a touch up, it's up your own discretion, everyone is different. Does the tattoo look like it needs it? Then schedule! If it doesn't? Leave it alone!
In order for your new tattoo to properly heal, I have put together specific aftercare instructions to follow.
Use your own best judgement on when to remove the bandage based on how your tattoo feels. Remove the bandage, clean the tattoo, and use a plain unscented lotion as necessary as the tattoo finishes healing. Some light peeling may occur, don't pick or scratch at it!
How did this all begin? I started tattooing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin back in 2001 way before all these tattoo-themed TV shows plagued the airwaves. In 2007, I moved to Portland, OR to join a larger, more supportive, and inspiring community of fellow artists - it's amazing to be able to live and work in a city with artists of such a high caliber!
My passion? Whimsical, light hearted, 3D realism! I love creating pieces of art that are intricate, ornate, and full of vibrant color. My inspiration is often found in nature - plants, flowers, fruits, vegetables (yes, really!), birds, bugs, and I'm especially fond of adorable underwater creatures! I don't mind drawing skulls, as long as I can drape them in pearls and flowers, maybe add an ornate frame and a ladybug or two!
Tired of hiding a bad tattoo? I do lots of full cover-up tattoos and also what I refer to as “tattoo facelifts” (reworking older tattoos and restoring them new glory). Life is too short to walk around with a tattoo that doesn't make you happy!
When I'm not tattooing, I'm off enjoying live music with my wonderful husband, having adventures in our old VWs, singing a little karaoke with friends, possibly scuba diving, or just hanging around our goofy dogs (FYI I will force you to look at painfully adorable photos of them). I also tend to sing while I work, you should know that up front.
I invite you to contact me for a consultation - let's work together to create something unique and beautiful!