Commissioning a Portrait in Apple Valley, Minnesota
If you are looking for a portrait artist in Apple Valley, Hazel Morgan offers a truly personal fine art service to clients throughout Apple Valley, Minnesota and the surrounding area. With over four decades of professional experience, Hazel has built an international reputation for creating exquisite hand-painted oil portraits that capture the character, warmth, and individuality of each subject.
Whether you live in the heart of Apple Valley or in the wider Dakota County region, commissioning a portrait from Hazel is a straightforward and enjoyable process. Portraits can be painted from professional photographs, personal snapshots, or — where practical — from live sittings arranged at a location convenient to you.
Portrait Painting Services Available in Apple Valley
Hazel offers a comprehensive range of portrait styles and subjects to suit every occasion and setting. Each portrait is painted entirely by hand in fine oil paints on premium Belgian linen canvas, using techniques refined over a career spanning more than four decades.
Classical & Formal Portraits
Traditional oil portraits for private collections, family legacies, and formal settings. Available as head-and-shoulders, half-length, or full-length compositions.
Corporate & Boardroom Portraits
Distinguished portraits of CEOs, directors, chancellors, and civic leaders. Painted to the exacting standards expected by boardrooms and institutional collections.
Family & Child Portraits
Intimate portraits that capture the personality and spirit of children and families. Painted from photographs or sittings to create a cherished keepsake.
Pet & Equestrian Portraits
Beautifully detailed oil paintings of beloved pets, horses, and companion animals. Each painting conveys the unique character and personality of the subject.
Memorial & Posthumous Portraits
Sensitive and respectful memorial portraits created from photographs. A meaningful way to honor the memory of a loved one through fine art.
Academic & Institutional Portraits
Portraits of chancellors, professors, benefactors, and distinguished alumni for universities, schools, and learned societies.
Portrait Artist Apple Valley Area
As your trusted Portrait Artist Apple Valley, Hazel Morgan serves portrait clients in Apple Valley and the surrounding communities. Portraits are shipped directly to your door with professional packaging and full insurance coverage.
How to Commission a Portrait from Apple Valley
Commissioning a portrait from Hazel Morgan is a collaborative and enjoyable experience, regardless of where you are located in Apple Valley, Minnesota. The process has been refined over hundreds of commissions to ensure a seamless experience for every client.
Step 1: Initial Consultation
The process begins with a complimentary consultation — by telephone, video call, or email — during which Hazel discusses your vision for the portrait. This covers the subject, preferred composition, size, background, clothing, and any particular details you would like to include. There is no obligation at this stage.
Step 2: Photographs & References
For clients in Apple Valley, Hazel can work from professional photographs, high-quality personal photographs, or a combination of multiple reference images. She provides clear guidance on the types of photographs that produce the best results. Where feasible, live sittings can also be arranged.
Step 3: The Painting Process
Once the composition is agreed, Hazel begins painting. The process typically takes between six and twelve weeks depending on the complexity of the piece. Clients receive progress photographs at key stages so you can see the portrait taking shape and provide feedback before completion.
Step 4: Delivery & Framing
Completed portraits are professionally packaged for shipping. Shipping and framing costs are provided once the painting is complete. Hazel can also recommend master framers who specialise in fine art framing to complement your finished portrait. Clients in Apple Valley typically receive their portrait within one to two weeks of completion.
Get in Touch for a Personalized Consultation in Apple Valley
Every portrait commission is unique, and Hazel provides a personalized quotation based on your specific requirements. Factors such as the size of the canvas, the number of subjects, and the complexity of the composition are all discussed during an initial telephone consultation, which is entirely free and without obligation.
Hazel welcomes inquiries from clients in Apple Valley, Minnesota and is happy to talk through your ideas at a time that suits you. Whether you have a clear vision or are simply exploring the possibility of commissioning a portrait, she looks forward to hearing from you.
Why Clients in Apple Valley Choose Hazel Morgan
Hazel Morgan brings a rare combination of artistic excellence, professional reliability, and personal warmth to every commission. Here is what sets her apart:
Over 40 years of professional experience — Hazel has been painting portraits professionally since the early 1980s, amassing a body of work that spans hundreds of commissions for private, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide.
Award-winning recognition — Her work has been exhibited at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and other prestigious venues. She is a member of several leading art societies.
A personal, one-to-one service — Unlike studio operations, every portrait is painted entirely by Hazel herself. You deal directly with the artist from first consultation through to delivery, ensuring your vision is faithfully realised.
International shipping expertise — Hazel regularly ships completed portraits to clients across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond. Every painting is professionally packaged to arrive in perfect condition.
Complete satisfaction guaranteed — Hazel works closely with each client throughout the painting process. Progress images are shared at every stage, and adjustments are made until you are completely happy with the finished portrait.
Frequently Asked Questions — Portrait Commissions in Apple Valley
Hazel provides personalized quotations after an initial telephone consultation, during which she discusses your specific requirements. The consultation is complimentary and entirely without obligation. Please get in touch to arrange a convenient time to talk.
Not at all. The majority of Hazel’s commissions are painted from photographs, which makes the process convenient for clients in Apple Valley and beyond. Hazel provides guidance on the best types of photographs to supply. Live sittings can be arranged where practical.
Most portraits are completed within six to twelve weeks from the start of painting, depending on the complexity of the commission. Hazel provides a realistic timeline during the initial consultation. Rush commissions can sometimes be accommodated for special occasions.
Hazel has extensive experience working with a range of photographic references, including older or lower-resolution images. She can often combine multiple photographs to create a single cohesive portrait. During the consultation, she will advise on whether your available photographs are suitable.
Completed portraits are professionally packaged using custom-built crating and shipped via insured courier directly to your address in Apple Valley. Shipping and framing are quoted separately after the portrait is completed.
Client satisfaction is paramount. Hazel shares progress photographs at key stages throughout the painting process so you can provide feedback and request adjustments. This collaborative approach means that by the time the portrait is complete, it faithfully reflects your vision.
Why Hazel Loves Apple Valley
Apple Valley, Minnesota carries a particular kind of community warmth that Hazel finds deeply compelling when she thinks about the families and individuals who reach out to commission portraits. Situated within Dakota County, this city pulses with genuine suburban vitality, anchored by the remarkable Minnesota Zoo, one of the most celebrated zoological institutions in the entire country. Hazel is drawn to how the zoo sits as a cultural centerpiece for generations of Dakota County families — a place woven into childhood memories, family traditions, and the very identity of those who grow up here. That sense of shared experience and generational connection is precisely what portrait art is designed to honor, and Hazel admires how Apple Valley residents carry that communal pride so naturally into the way they celebrate family milestones.
What captivates Hazel about this part of Dakota County extends beyond any single landmark. The neighborhoods surrounding Lebanon Hills Regional Park reflect a community that values natural beauty alongside everyday life, and the park's glacially formed lakes — including Farquar Lake and the rolling terrain that defines so much of Dakota County's landscape — speak to a place shaped by deep time and quiet grandeur. Apple Valley's annual Apple Valley Freedom Days celebration, held each summer, is the kind of rooted civic tradition that reveals everything about a community's character: joyful, family-centered, and proud of its identity. Hazel is inspired by communities that invest in those traditions, knowing that the same spirit shows up in the faces of the people who commission her work.
Hazel also admires the way Apple Valley connects seamlessly to the broader artistic and cultural energy of Dakota County, including the arts programming supported through organizations like the Dakota County Library system and community events held at the Apple Valley Community Center. Portrait commissions from this area carry a distinct sense of groundedness — clients who know where they come from and want that legacy captured on canvas. For Hazel, creating a portrait for someone from Apple Valley means honoring a life embedded in real community, real landscape, and real belonging.
Ready to Commission Your Portrait?
Begin with a complimentary, no-obligation consultation. Hazel would love to discuss your portrait ideas and provide a personalized quotation for clients in Apple Valley, Minnesota.
Request a Free Consultation