Commissioning a Portrait in Manhattan Beach, California
If you are looking for a portrait artist in Manhattan Beach, Hazel Morgan offers a truly personal fine art service to clients throughout Manhattan Beach, California 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 Manhattan Beach or in the wider Los Angeles 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 Artist Manhattan Beach Area
As your trusted Portrait Artist Manhattan Beach, Hazel Morgan serves portrait clients in Manhattan Beach and the surrounding communities. Portraits are shipped directly to your door with professional packaging and full insurance coverage.
How to Commission a Portrait from Manhattan Beach
Commissioning a portrait from Hazel Morgan is a collaborative and enjoyable experience, regardless of where you are located in Manhattan Beach, California. 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 Manhattan Beach, 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 Manhattan Beach typically receive their portrait within one to two weeks of completion.
Why Clients in Manhattan Beach 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 Manhattan Beach
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 Manhattan Beach 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 Manhattan Beach. 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 Manhattan Beach
Hazel admires Manhattan Beach for the way it holds onto something genuine beneath its sun-drenched surface. There's a quiet confidence here that she finds rare - residents who are accomplished and grounded, unpretentious even when life has been generous to them. Walking along the strand or wandering the neighbourhoods near Manhattan Beach Pier, Hazel notices how people carry themselves with an ease that feels earned rather than performed. That quality - that relaxed sense of self - is exactly what she hopes to draw out in a portrait. It makes her work feel more honest, more alive.
Hazel loves the way the coastal light behaves here, especially in the late afternoon when it turns warm and low and seems to settle on everything like something deliberate. For a portrait painter, light is everything, and Manhattan Beach offers it generously. She also loves the community's genuine investment in the arts. The Manhattan Beach Arts Center reflects a neighbourhood that takes creativity seriously without making it feel exclusive - and that attitude mirrors the way Hazel approaches her own studio practice. Art should be personal, accessible, and rooted in real human connection.
Hazel also admires the character of the people she meets here. Her clients in Manhattan Beach tend to be thoughtful about how they want to be remembered and generous in sharing the stories that shape them. A retired surfer who built a business from scratch, a mother raising three kids while quietly pursuing her own creative work - these are the kinds of lives that make for compelling portraits. Hazel listens carefully before she ever picks up a brush, and in Manhattan Beach, people seem genuinely willing to be known rather than simply seen.
Hazel also loves returning to this community again and again because the relationships she builds here feel lasting. Clients become familiar faces who wave from their front porches or stop to chat near the farmers market. There's a warmth and neighbourly rhythm to life in Manhattan Beach that reminds her why portraiture matters in the first place - it's about preserving something true about a person, at a particular moment in time, in a place they love. For Hazel, this stretch of the South Bay coastline is one of those places she genuinely treasures.
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 Manhattan Beach, California.
Request a Free Consultation