Catherine D. Hafer, AAPL, is an international award-winning artist based in Westport, MA and Northumberland, PA. Known for her portraits of both people and animals, her work is described as “Capturing Personality and Bringing Feeling to Life.” She has mentored with Tina Garrett and studied with renowned artists such as Susan Lyon, Johanne Mangi, and Michelle Dunaway. Hafer is a member of the Portrait Society of America, the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, and holds signature status with the American Artist Professional League.
Her awards include the Grumbacher Gold Medallion for an Oil Painting of Exceptional Merit and the Almenara Award at the AAPL Grand National Exhibition. In 2024 her work traveled to Spain for the Almenara Art Prize Exhibition, where it received Honorable Mention. She has been accepted to the Almenara Collection Artist Residency Program and will travel to Spain in 2026.
Fall 2025 Workshops
Hosted at The Westport Art Group, Westport, MA, Catherine’s workshops focus on hands-on learning with demos and one-on-one feedback.
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Expressive Animals in Charcoal
Learn painterly charcoal techniques using brushes, sponges, and water to capture pets and wildlife with strong structure, value, and edges.
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Successful Portrait Painting, Breaking It Down
Develop a strong foundation for portrait painting through grisaille studies in one color plus white. Focus on structural form, values, and drawing without the distraction of full color.
👉 Registration link: Westport Art Group Adult Art
Workshop Panel Options
1: Catherine’s workshops feature Artefex’s archival painting supports. Students can choose:
These panels are built on Artefex’s Chartapanel ACM base for unmatched stability and longevity.
Artefex Extra Fine (538) Allinpanel™ is a professional art panel for oil painting with 100% linen canvas oil-primed in Italy and adhered with BEVA 371 film to a two-sided aluminum composite panel, consisting of two aluminum sheets laminated to both sides of a black polyethylene core.
With a perfectly flat, archival surface, Artefex panels ensure smooth brushwork, predictable absorbency, and a stable support that lasts for generations.