Client Hightlight - Phil Cloughesy

I anticipate intensity with the future of “Client Highlights” as some of the stories I bare witness too in my chair can get quite heavy…. The world around us carries so much noise and compounding stress, often times canvases don’t realize they haven’t sat still for months until engaging in a tattoo session. Moms, soldiers, long-distance lovers, friends, and many other character archetypes find respite in the needle and ink therapy… how could people with such diverse backgrounds all agree so intently that permanent body modification is right for them? What path has lead them to where they sit today?

All stories to be told in this series will be based on question/answer information gathering with explicit permission given by the chosen interviewee.

In this first installment, I wanted to introduce you to someone I consider to be a genuine admirer of tattooing as an art, and an overall comforting spirit to be in presence of. Philip Cloughesy, a Double X Tattoo frequent flyer turned dear friend.

Philip has been coming to me for pieces since our meeting of happenstance at the 1st ever Amity Tattoo Co. Friday the 13th Flash Day, October 2023. He was one of my very first San Diego regulars and I have seen him almost every month on a schedule since. His sessions have become a place of mutual respect and learning on both sides of the armrest.

Client Highlight: Philip Cloughesy shares his canvas journey and view on tattooing as an art form.

“My tattoo journey began when I was 19. I really took my time before committing to a tattoo appointment back then, being very meticulous in my decision making due to backlash I knew I’d get from my father - a feeling that has since faded as I have gotten older. Fast forward to today and I have 30+ total tattoos, a full sleeve and have begun my second sleeve as of April 2024.

My first tattoo was an Oakland Raiders Football Shield surrounded by a breast cancer ribbon. The tattoo honored both my love for the team and the loss of my Aunt Sue who lost her battle with Breast Cancer back in 2005.

I used to think tattoos had to have some kind of deep meaning. I know now just wanting the tattoo because of the joy it brings is enough! It doesn’t always have to be a big emotional catalyst that causes you to book a tattoo appointment. I get tattooed because it’s therapeutic in my eyes. I love the art style, the idea of getting something that will be with you for the rest of your life, no matter what. I feel more and more like I am becoming my true self with each piece I get.

Tattooing is my favorite form of art. The finesse it takes for an artist to create a truly unique and quality tattoo takes both skill and practice. I love all different styles of tattooing, color theory, and the creativity it sparks. I’m not personally fluent in the history of tattooing to understand the full cultural impact it’s had throughout history, but I do understand the impact it has on society today . Tattooing allows people to express their most authentic self in permanence.

If you or someone you know is nervous about getting a tattoo, that’s totally okay! Ultimately, you’re making a lifelong decision and that can be a scary thought. I say go for it if it’s a piece you truly love and makes you happy.”