Commissioning a Portrait in Highland Park, Illinois
If you are looking for a portrait artist in Highland Park, Hazel Morgan offers a truly personal fine art service to clients throughout Highland Park, Illinois 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 Highland Park or in the wider Lake 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 Highland Park Area
As your trusted Portrait Artist Highland Park, Hazel Morgan serves portrait clients in Highland Park and the surrounding communities. Portraits are shipped directly to your door with professional packaging and full insurance coverage.
How to Commission a Portrait from Highland Park
Commissioning a portrait from Hazel Morgan is a collaborative and enjoyable experience, regardless of where you are located in Highland Park, Illinois. 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 Highland Park, 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 Highland Park typically receive their portrait within one to two weeks of completion.
Why Clients in Highland Park 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 Highland Park
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 Highland Park 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 Highland Park. 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 Highland Park
Hazel admires Highland Park for the quiet, unhurried confidence it carries - a sense that the people who live and gather here have genuinely put down roots. Nestled along the North Shore of Chicago, this is a community where tree-lined streets give way to warm neighbourhood cafes and independent bookshops, where neighbours actually know each other's names. For a portrait artist, that depth of connection matters enormously. Hazel believes that the most honest portraits emerge when a subject feels settled and seen, and Highland Park has a way of drawing out exactly that kind of ease in the people she meets here.
Hazel loves the rich cultural life that runs through the heart of the community. The Ravinia Festival is perhaps the most beloved expression of that spirit - a summer gathering that has brought world-class music into the open air for generations of families. Hazel finds that the people who grow up attending Ravinia carry something in their faces that she can only describe as attentiveness, a cultivated appreciation for beauty and craft that she genuinely admires. It shows up in her sittings with local clients: they tend to be thoughtful, curious, and open to the slower rhythm that portrait painting requires.
Hazel also admires the way Highland Park honours its history without feeling frozen in the past. The Highland Park Historical Society does wonderful work keeping local stories alive, and Hazel has found real inspiration in learning about the generations of artists, architects, and community builders who shaped this place. That layered sense of time - of lives lived fully and meaningfully - feeds directly into her work. She paints people, not just faces, and a town with this much story gives her rich human material to draw from.
Hazel also loves the variety of her clients here, from young families in the Ravine Drive neighbourhood to long-established residents who have watched Highland Park evolve across decades. Each person brings a distinct story, a particular way of holding themselves, a lifetime of small experiences etched gently into their expression. Hazel feels genuinely fortunate to spend time with them, listening before she ever picks up a brush. That relationship - honest, patient, and personal - is exactly what she hopes every portrait reflects.
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 Highland Park, Illinois.
Request a Free Consultation