Privacy Policy

1. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to the website published at https://www.megsarts.lol and to every page, form and downloadable document made available through that address. It also applies to correspondence that begins through the website and continues by email, telephone or in person at the studio. It does not apply to third party websites that a visitor may reach by following an external link, since those sites publish their own policies and MEGSYARTS LLC has no control over their practices.

The policy applies to all visitors regardless of where they are located. It applies to people who send a single enquiry and to people who return over several years. Where a separate written agreement, commission contract or enrolment form sets out terms for a specific project, that agreement works alongside this policy, and where the two differ on a point of data handling the more protective wording applies to the person concerned.

2. Who We Are

MEGSYARTS LLC is a creative studio working in commission painting and studio art tuition. The studio is operated from a working flat at 2265 S State St APT 240, Salt Lake City - 84115-1402, United States (US). The company receives and answers its own correspondence, and there is no separate call centre or external customer service provider handling enquiries on its behalf.

For the purposes of applicable privacy law, MEGSYARTS LLC acts as the controller of the personal information described in this policy. Questions about this document, about a specific record, or about the way information is handled can be directed to arts@megsarts.lol or to the postal address above. Telephone enquiries can be made on +19898229205 during the business hours listed on the contact page.

3. Information We Collect

The information collected is limited to what is needed to answer a question, quote a commission, run a lesson block or finish a piece of artwork. We do not buy mailing lists, we do not purchase marketing profiles from data brokers, and we do not attempt to identify anonymous visitors by combining sources.

Information provided directly

• Name, and where a commission is for another person, the name of that sitter or animal.
• Email address and, where supplied, a postal address for shipping or correspondence.
• Telephone number, used only when a caller asks for a return call or supplies it in a studio message.
• The subject line and body of an enquiry sent through the contact form or by email.
• Reference photographs and documents supplied for a portrait, pet portrait or finishing job.
• Details of a commission, including size, medium, delivery date, quoted price and any agreed changes.
• Enrolment details for lessons and clinics, including a contact name and any access needs a student chooses to share.
• Payment information in the limited form described in the section on billing records below.

Information collected automatically

The web server that delivers these pages records standard technical information each time a page is requested. This typically includes the internet protocol address of the requesting device, the date and time of the request, the page requested, the referring address and a browser user agent string. These records are created by the hosting environment for security and reliability purposes and are not assembled into visitor profiles.

Information we do not collect

We do not ask for government identification numbers, banking passwords, payment card verification codes, health records, biometric data or precise location data. If a message arrives that contains such information without being requested, it is deleted from the studio inbox as soon as the matter is concluded, or sooner where deletion is possible without losing the substance of the enquiry.

4. How Information Reaches Us

Most information arrives because someone chooses to send it. The contact form on this website does not transmit data to a server. It prepares a message in the visitor own mail application, and the visitor decides whether to send that message. This design means that a person who fills in the form and then closes the mail window has not sent anything to the studio at all.

Information may also arrive by direct email to arts@megsarts.lol, by telephone to +19898229205, by a message through a social platform where the studio maintains a presence, in person at an appointment, or through a referral from another artist or client who has been given permission to share contact details. Where a third party supplies contact details on behalf of someone else, we rely on that person having the authority to do so.

5. Why We Use Personal Information

Personal information is used for a short list of purposes connected directly to the studio work. Each purpose is described below with the kind of record involved.

• Answering enquiries. A name, email address and message are used to reply to a question about services, availability, pricing or a visit.
• Quoting and planning commissions. Details of a subject, size, support and deadline are used to prepare a written quotation and a delivery schedule.
• Producing artwork. Reference images and any written guidance supplied by a client are used during the working block to build the piece as agreed.
• Running lessons. Enrolment details are used to place a student in a block, to contact them about changes and to keep a record of the exercises completed.
• Finishing and shipping. Address and contact details are used to arrange collection, crating and tracked delivery of finished work.
• Billing and accounting. Invoices and payment records are used to collect amounts due and to satisfy record keeping duties.
• Studio security. Server logs are used to detect abuse, keep the site available and investigate technical faults.
• Legal obligations. Records may be used where the law requires a specific disclosure, retention or report.

We do not use personal information for automated decision making, we do not build profiles for advertising, and we do not sell or rent contact details to any other organisation. A client will never receive a marketing message from a third party as a result of working with MEGSYARTS LLC.

6. Legal Bases for Processing

Where the law of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or a similar jurisdiction applies, we rely on the following legal bases. The first is the performance of a contract or the steps needed before a contract is formed, which covers quotations, commissions and lesson enrolments. The second is legitimate interest, which covers answering a general enquiry, protecting the website from abuse and keeping basic business records. The third is legal obligation, which covers tax and accounting records. The fourth is consent, which is used only where a person clearly agrees to something optional, such as receiving a studio announcement by email.

Where consent is the basis for a particular use, it can be withdrawn at any time by writing to the studio email address. Withdrawal does not affect uses that took place before the withdrawal, and it does not prevent the company from holding records that it is required to keep by law.

7. Cookies and Local Storage

This website is built as a set of static pages and does not set advertising cookies, tracking cookies or third party marketing cookies. The small script that controls the mobile navigation and the gentle reveal of page sections uses memory within the open browser tab and does not write a cookie to the device. When the tab is closed, that memory is released.

The hosting provider may set a strictly necessary cookie or use a similar mechanism to balance traffic between servers or to protect against automated attacks. Such mechanisms are used only to deliver the site securely and are not used to follow a visitor across other websites. A visitor who prefers to block cookies entirely can do so in the browser settings; the studio pages will continue to work normally.

Links to external sites may lead to services that set their own cookies. Those cookies are governed by the policies of the sites concerned and are not controlled by MEGSYARTS LLC.

8. Website Measurement

The studio does not run a third party analytics package that profiles individual visitors. Aggregate information about page requests may be reviewed in the form of server logs when there is a reason to check whether the site is working, whether a page is loading slowly, or whether a form link is broken. This review looks at counts and error codes rather than at the identity of any person.

If a traffic measurement tool is introduced in future, this policy will be updated before that tool is enabled, and the tool will be configured to avoid collecting identifying information about visitors. Any future introduction of analytics will be described in the section on changes below rather than added quietly to the site.

9. Reference Images and Artwork

Portrait, pet portrait and finishing work often involves photographs supplied by a client. These images are stored in a folder that is separate from website files and are accessible only to the person working on the commission. They are used solely to produce the artwork described in the brief and are not published, licensed or used in promotional material without a separate written permission.

A client who sends a photograph of a person or an animal confirms that they have the right to share that image for the purpose of the commission. Where the subject is a minor, the client confirms that they have the authority of a parent or guardian. If a reference image was taken by a professional photographer, the client is responsible for ensuring that the use of the image for a painting is permitted under the photographer terms.

Finished work is photographed for the studio record and, in some cases, for a private progress update to the client. A photograph of a finished commission is only shown publicly where the client has given clear permission in writing. That permission can be withdrawn later, and the image will be removed from the studio channels within a reasonable period.

10. Students and Lesson Records

Enrolment in a lesson block or a colour clinic requires a name, a contact email address and a telephone number for same day changes. We also keep a short record of attendance, the exercises completed and any notes a student asks us to remember, such as a preference for standing rather than seated work. These notes help the instructor to avoid repeating material and to build on what a student has already learned.

Student work is photographed only with permission, and only when the student wishes to have a record of progress. Class lists are not shared between students, and a student is never asked to share contact details with the rest of the group. Where a lesson is booked as a gift, the person paying supplies the name and contact details of the student, and the student is told who holds that information at the first session.

11. How We Share Information

MEGSYARTS LLC does not sell personal information. Information is shared only where it is necessary to deliver a service that a person has requested, or where the law requires it. The categories of recipient are limited and are listed below for transparency.

• Shipping and courier providers. A name, address and telephone number are shared when a finished piece must be delivered. The provider receives only what is needed to complete the delivery.
• Payment processors. Where an invoice is paid electronically, the processor receives the amount and an invoice reference. Card details are entered into the processor system and are not stored by the studio.
• Accounting support. A bookkeeper or accountant may see invoices and payment records for the purpose of preparing statutory accounts.
• Legal and regulatory bodies. Information may be disclosed where a court order, subpoena or equivalent legal requirement compels disclosure, or where it is necessary to defend a legal claim.
• Professional advisers. A lawyer or insurer may receive information in connection with a specific dispute or claim, subject to a duty of confidence.

Any provider that receives personal information is expected to use it only for the purpose for which it was supplied. The studio does not authorise a provider to use client details for its own marketing. Where a provider operates outside the United States, the transfer is described in the section on international visitors.

12. Payments and Billing Records

Commission and lesson payments are usually arranged by invoice. The studio does not operate an online checkout and does not ask anyone to send payment card numbers, bank credentials or security codes in an email. If a message claiming to be from the studio requests such details, it should be treated as fraudulent and reported to arts@megsarts.lol before any action is taken.

Billing records include the client name, invoice number, amount, date and the service purchased. These records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting rules and are not used for any purpose beyond billing, accounting and the defence of a payment dispute.

13. How Long We Keep Information

Records are kept only as long as there is a reason to keep them. The table below describes the general practice. A particular record may be kept longer where a legal hold applies or where a dispute is open.

• General enquiries that do not lead to a booking. Usually deleted within twelve months of the last message.
• Quotations that are not accepted. Usually deleted within twelve months of issue.
• Commission records and reference images. Kept for the duration of the work plus five years, after which images are deleted and the written record is reduced to a summary.
• Lesson enrolments and attendance notes. Kept for three years after the final session in a block.
• Invoices and payment records. Kept for the period required by tax law, currently seven years.
• Server logs. Usually rotated and deleted within ninety days, unless preserved for a security investigation.
• Marketing consent records. Kept until consent is withdrawn, plus a short period to evidence the withdrawal.

When a retention period ends, records are deleted from active systems and removed from backups as those backups rotate. Printed material is shredded or securely disposed of.

14. How We Protect Information

The studio applies practical safeguards rather than relying on a single technical control. Website pages are delivered over an encrypted connection. Email accounts and the studio computer are protected with strong passwords and multi factor authentication. Work files are stored in a folder structure that separates current commissions from completed work, so that a finished project does not remain on a working drive longer than necessary.

Printed briefs and reference sheets are kept in a locked drawer when the studio is not in use. Couriers and visitors do not have access to the desk area where client files are held. Devices that leave the flat are encrypted, and the studio does not use public computers for client correspondence.

No system can guarantee absolute security. If a breach occurs that is likely to affect the rights of a person, the studio will notify the affected person without undue delay and will describe the nature of the incident, the information involved and the steps being taken in response. A notification will not include unnecessary technical detail, but it will be honest about what happened.

15. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where a person lives, the law may give specific rights over personal information. Where those rights apply, MEGSYARTS LLC will honour them. The rights most commonly available are listed below.

• Access. A request can be made for a copy of the personal information held about you.
• Correction. Inaccurate details can be corrected, and incomplete records can be completed with a supplementary statement.
• Deletion. A request can be made for records to be erased where there is no continuing legal or contractual reason to keep them.
• Restriction. Processing can be limited while a dispute about accuracy or lawfulness is resolved.
• Objection. A person can object to processing based on legitimate interest, and the studio will stop unless there is a compelling reason to continue.
• Portability. Where processing is automated and based on consent or contract, a machine readable copy can be requested.
• Withdrawal of consent. Where consent supports a use, it can be withdrawn at any time.
• Complaint. A person can complain to a data protection authority in their country or to the studio directly.

To exercise a right, write to arts@megsarts.lol with enough detail to identify the records concerned. We may ask for a small amount of additional information to confirm identity before releasing personal information, but we will not ask for more than is needed. A response is normally given within thirty days. If a request is complex, the studio will explain why more time is needed rather than leaving the request unanswered.

16. Notice for California Residents

California law provides specific rights to residents of that state. In the previous twelve months, MEGSYARTS LLC has collected the categories of information described in the section on information collection, has used them for the business purposes described in this policy, and has not sold or shared personal information for cross context behavioural advertising.

A California resident may request to know the categories and specific pieces of personal information collected, request deletion, request correction, and request that information not be sold or shared. Because the studio does not sell information, there is no sale to opt out of, but a request will still be recorded and answered. Authorised agents may submit a request on behalf of a resident where they provide written authority.

The studio will not discriminate against a person for exercising a privacy right. A request will not lead to a refusal of service, a different price or a lower quality of work. Requests should be sent to arts@megsarts.lol with the subject line Privacy Request so that they are handled promptly.

17. Privacy for Children

This website is intended for adults who are arranging artwork or lessons. It is not directed at children, and the studio does not knowingly collect personal information from a child under the applicable age of digital consent without the involvement of a parent or guardian. A commission that depicts a child is arranged by an adult, and the reference images of the child are supplied by that adult.

Group lessons are available to teenagers only where a parent or guardian supplies the enrolment details and remains the point of contact. If the studio learns that information about a child has been collected without proper authority, the record will be deleted promptly. A parent or guardian who believes such a record exists can write to arts@megsarts.lol and ask for its removal.

18. International Visitors

The studio is based in the United States, and the primary records described in this policy are held there. A visitor from another country should understand that information sent to the studio will be processed in the United States, where privacy law may differ from the law of the visitor home country.

Where information is transferred to a provider outside the United States, the studio takes reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer is protected by an appropriate mechanism, such as standard contractual clauses or an equivalent arrangement offered by the provider. A person with a question about a specific transfer can ask the studio for details, and the answer will identify the provider category and the safeguard used without disclosing confidential commercial terms.

19. Third Party Links

Pages on this site may link to external resources such as a mapping service, an artist supply shop or a shipping provider. These links are provided for convenience. When a visitor follows one, the visitor leaves the studio site and becomes subject to the privacy policy of the destination. MEGSYARTS LLC is not responsible for the content, security or data practices of any external site.

The studio does not embed social media tracking pixels, advertising tags or third party comment systems. An embedded map or video, if added in future, will be described in an update to this policy when it is introduced.

20. Changes to This Policy

This policy may be updated when the studio adds a service, changes a provider, adopts a new tool or when the law changes. The effective date at the top of this page will always show the date of the most recent revision. Where a change materially affects how existing client information is used, the studio will make reasonable efforts to notify the people concerned by email before the change takes effect.

Visitors are encouraged to review this page occasionally. Continued use of the website after a revision is published indicates acceptance of the revised policy for future interactions, though it does not remove any right a person already holds over information collected earlier.

21. How to Contact Us

Questions, requests and complaints about privacy should be sent to the studio. Please include a short description of the matter and the email address used for earlier correspondence so that the relevant record can be found quickly.

If a reply does not resolve a concern, a person may contact a data protection authority in their country of residence. The studio will cooperate with a regulator that is investigating a complaint and will provide the information needed to resolve the matter fairly.