My Kitchen Sink is my personal blog where I write about the things I love: photography, Sweden, natural health, food, wine and cooking.
Who am I?
My name is Cattie Coyle, and I am a freelance photographer, craft addict, blogger, and former animal massage therapist. I grew up in Sweden, came to the US in 1991 and ended up staying. I am currently living just outside of Boston, MA with my husband.
Photography is one of my favorite things in life; it has been a passion since I was a teenager. When I’m shooting, I forget everything else. I don’t notice if it’s freezing or hot, raining or snowing, or if I have a headache or cold. And downloading and looking at the photos at the end of a day – it’s like Christmas every time! 🙂
My Grandfather and Dad were both avid amateur photographers and there was no shortage of cameras (and artistic critique and encouragement) around the house. After spending many years “shooting for fun”, I went to photography school to learn the bits I didn’t know. I graduated from New England School of Photography (NESOP) in 1994, majoring in Portraiture with a minor in Color as Fine Arts.
I have always loved taking pictures of a wide variety of things, but my favorite subjects are travel, the natural world, taking a close-up look at objects, and animals of all kinds.
Animal Photography
Animals fascinate, amaze, and inspire me – they are as important to me as photography, and have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I had to be dragged away from pastures, barns or anything I came across with animals, and was always happiest hanging out at the stable or playing with my (and my friends’) dogs and other pets. I love how animals never pretend, how they are always completely honest and live in the moment, and I find their positive attitude, curiosity and joyfulness very contagious. Not surprisingly, my final portfolio at NESOP consisted of portraits of people and their pets.
To see some of my work, visit my portfolio website, Cattie Coyle Photography and my Etsy store, Reves et Lumiere.
Natural Health for Animals and Humans
I am also trained as a small animal massage therapist, but when allergies forced me to quit working with animals a few years ago, I started my holistic animal health Animal Wellness Guide blog where I write about everything I think is helpful both for pet owners looking for natural remedies for their pets, massage therapists and people considering a career in animal massage. It started out with “just” massage but has developed into a site about many alternative health treatments for pets.
I always look for natural and non-toxic ways to cure illness, decorate my home and live my life in general. This quest for a more non-polluted existence has led me to some interesting discoveries and great finds, and I continue to learn. I am always experimenting with new natural products and have studied Applied Zoopharmacognosy (a form of “aromatherapy” for animals) with Caroline Ingraham (in England) and Aromatherapy for humans.
I started this blog because I have so many things I want to share. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful. Thanks for reading!