Commissioning a Portrait in Durango, Colorado
If you are looking for a portrait artist in Durango, Hazel Morgan offers a truly personal fine art service to clients throughout Durango, Colorado 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 Durango or in the wider La Plata 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 Durango Area
As your trusted Portrait Artist Durango, Hazel Morgan serves portrait clients in Durango and the surrounding communities. Portraits are shipped directly to your door with professional packaging and full insurance coverage.
How to Commission a Portrait from Durango
Commissioning a portrait from Hazel Morgan is a collaborative and enjoyable experience, regardless of where you are located in Durango, Colorado. 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 Durango, 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 Durango typically receive their portrait within one to two weeks of completion.
Why Clients in Durango 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 Durango
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 Durango 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 Durango. 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 Durango
Hazel admires Durango with the kind of quiet, genuine fondness that only grows deeper over time. Nestled in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, this city carries a rare quality - a sense of place that feels both rooted and alive. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a perfect example of that spirit. Every time Hazel watches that historic steam train pull away from the depot, trailing smoke against a backdrop of rust-colored cliffs, she's reminded of how powerfully a place can hold its own identity. That kind of authenticity is exactly what she looks for in a portrait subject.
Hazel loves the people of Durango most of all. There's a warmth here that she notices the moment she sits down with a new client - an openness, a willingness to be seen. Whether she's working with a family from the charming historic neighborhoods along Third Avenue or meeting an artist connected to the vibrant community around the Durango Arts Center, she finds that her subjects carry real stories in their faces. For a portrait painter, that's everything. Hazel believes that a truly meaningful portrait isn't about capturing a likeness so much as revealing character, and the people she meets in Durango give her so much character to work with.
Hazel also admires the way the landscape of this region quietly shapes the people who live here. The wide skies, the Animas River threading through town, the unhurried rhythm of daily life along Main Avenue - all of it leaves a mark on the locals in ways that show up in how they carry themselves, how they laugh, how they settle into a sitting. That ease translates beautifully onto canvas. When Hazel begins a new portrait, she often finds herself drawing on the natural light and earthy palette of the surrounding San Juans, letting the environment inform her brushwork in ways that feel organic rather than deliberate.
Hazel also loves returning to Durango because she always leaves feeling creatively replenished. The city has a generosity of spirit - something you sense in the local galleries, the conversation at a coffee shop, the way strangers greet each other on the street. For Hazel, a portrait is ultimately an act of connection, and Durango, more than almost anywhere else she works, understands and values that kind of human attention.
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 Durango, Colorado.
Request a Free Consultation