Deborah Kotchen

Deborah Kotchen returned to painting in 2008 after a long career in public relations and marketing. Her focus on New England landscapes and seascapes as subject matter is derived from a passion for sailing and the outdoors. Kotchen often combines the use of palette knife with brush stroke. Primary mediums are oil on canvas, board or cork.

Kotchen's work has been presented on the shoreline at the Lyme Art Association, Four Star Gallery, Maple & Main Gallery, Mystic Arts Center, Artist Cooperative Gallery of Westerly, Watch Hill Art Show, Stonington Invitational, La Grua Center, Lords Hill and the Noank Summer Exhibitions. Formerly, her work was exhibited at the West Hartford Art League and the Wethersfield Art League. A graduate of Boston University, she received early art training with Hudson Valley artist May Palmer Hawkins.

Kotchen is an Honorary Docent at the Wadsworth Atheneum and was a member of its Board of Electors and marketing committee. Professionally, she was President of The Kotchen Group, a national Public Relations firm based in Hartford, CT. Prior to forming her own agency, she was Marketing Director for Women's Specialty Retailing Group, Aetna Property Services, Hartford Civic Center and Director of PR & Special Events for G. Fox department stores, New England. Kotchen also founded Designs Ltd, a national distributor of patented frames and accessories for the arts & craft industry. She resides on the Connecticut shoreline.