Commissioning a Portrait in Independence, Minnesota
If you are looking for a portrait artist in Independence, Hazel Morgan offers a truly personal fine art service to clients throughout Independence, 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 Independence or in the wider Hennepin 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 Independence Area
As your trusted Portrait Artist Independence, Hazel Morgan serves portrait clients in Independence and the surrounding communities. Portraits are shipped directly to your door with professional packaging and full insurance coverage.
How to Commission a Portrait from Independence
Commissioning a portrait from Hazel Morgan is a collaborative and enjoyable experience, regardless of where you are located in Independence, 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 Independence, 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 Independence typically receive their portrait within one to two weeks of completion.
Why Clients in Independence 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 Independence
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 Independence 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 Independence. 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 Independence
Hazel admires Independence with a quiet, genuine warmth that has only deepened the longer she has spent time there. There is something about the city's unhurried pace and its deep sense of civic pride that feels rare and worth celebrating. Walking through the Independence Square neighborhood, she finds herself surrounded by storefronts and faces that carry real history - the kind of lived-in character that she tries to draw out whenever she sits down with a new portrait subject. That sense of rootedness, of people who genuinely belong to a place, gives her work a depth that she finds harder to access elsewhere.
Hazel loves the way Independence wears its past so naturally. The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum stands as a perfect example of what she means - it is not a monument built to impress from a distance, but a place that invites people in, encouraging them to sit with stories and personalities from another era. For Hazel, that spirit mirrors what portrait painting is all about. She wants each canvas to feel like an invitation rather than a showcase, a chance for the viewer to genuinely meet the person she has painted. Independence clients seem to understand that instinctively, arriving at sessions with an openness and ease that makes her job feel less like work and more like a long, unhurried conversation.
Hazel also admires the community's unpretentious creativity and the way local pride shows up in everyday gestures rather than grand announcements. She has had the pleasure of painting residents whose families have lived in Independence for generations, and the stories they share - about neighborhoods, about neighbors, about the rhythms of the town - inevitably find their way into the mood of a finished portrait. That kind of storytelling is a gift to any painter.
Hazel also loves returning to Independence because the people there remind her why she became a portrait artist in the first place. They are curious, grounded, and genuinely interested in being seen - not flattered, but truly seen. That honest quality, she says, is the foundation of every portrait she considers her best work, and Independence keeps offering it to her in abundance.
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 Independence, Minnesota.
Request a Free Consultation