Privacy Policy

Last updated: 30 July 2026

This Privacy Notice explains how Sarah L Gower collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when you visit sarahlgower.com, contact me or submit a digital artwork commission request.

1. Who is responsible for your information?

The person responsible for the personal information described in this notice is:

Sarah L Gower
Email: sarahlgowercommissions@gmail.com

Please contact me using this email address if you have a question about this notice or would like to exercise your data-protection rights.

2. Information I may collect

Depending on how you use the website or communicate with me, I may collect:

  • your name;

  • your email address;

  • your country;

  • your social-media username, where voluntarily provided;

  • information included in a contact or commission request;

  • character descriptions, project information and creative briefs;

  • photographs, artwork and other reference images;

  • information about your intended use of commissioned artwork;

  • release dates, confidentiality requests and portfolio preferences;

  • correspondence, feedback and artwork approvals;

  • quotation, invoice and transaction details;

  • records of payments made through Square;

  • information relating to cancellations, complaints or disputes; and

  • technical information about your visit to the website, such as your device, browser, IP address, traffic source and pages viewed.

Please do not provide sensitive personal information unless it is genuinely necessary for your request and has been discussed with me in advance.

If you submit photographs or information relating to another person, you must have their permission to provide those materials.

3. How I collect information

I may collect personal information:

  • when you complete a website form;

  • when you contact me by email or social media;

  • when you submit a commission request;

  • while discussing, producing and delivering commissioned artwork;

  • when you approve a quotation, sketch or final artwork;

  • when you make a payment through Square; and

  • automatically through essential website technology and Squarespace Analytics.

Squarespace form submissions may be stored within the Squarespace website and sent to my Gmail inbox.

4. How and why I use your information

I may use your personal information to:

  • review and respond to enquiries;

  • assess whether I can accept a commission;

  • prepare quotations and agree commission requirements;

  • communicate with you about your request;

  • create, revise and deliver commissioned artwork;

  • process payments and maintain transaction records;

  • manage cancellations, refunds, complaints and disputes;

  • comply with tax, accounting and other legal obligations;

  • maintain appropriate business and contractual records;

  • protect the website and prevent fraud, misuse or spam;

  • understand how visitors use the website; and

  • improve the website and services offered.

I will not use your information for unrelated purposes without a lawful reason to do so.

5. Lawful bases for processing

I rely on the following lawful bases where appropriate:

Steps before entering into a contract

I use this basis when reviewing a commission request, discussing your requirements or preparing a quotation at your request.

Performance of a contract

I use this basis when administering, producing and delivering an accepted commission.

Legal obligation

I may retain and use information where necessary to comply with tax, accounting, consumer-protection or other legal requirements.

Legitimate interests

I may rely on legitimate interests to:

  • respond to general enquiries;

  • maintain appropriate business records;

  • establish or defend legal claims;

  • protect the website and services from misuse; and

  • manage and improve the operation of my business.

Where I rely on legitimate interests, I consider whether the use is necessary and whether it would unfairly affect your rights.

Consent

I may rely on consent for non-essential cookies and analytics where consent is required. You may withdraw consent through the website’s cookie controls.

6. Commission requests and reference material

Commission information is used to understand your request, prepare an accurate quotation and create the agreed artwork.

Reference material may include:

  • photographs;

  • existing character artwork;

  • pose references;

  • clothing and hairstyle references;

  • colour palettes; and

  • visual examples supplied to explain the brief.

Reference images submitted through the website may initially be processed through Squarespace. Relevant copies may then be downloaded and stored in iCloud while the commission is being reviewed or completed.

Reference material will not be used for another client’s artwork or published independently of the commission without permission.

7. Payments

Payments are processed using Square.

Square may collect and process information needed to administer the payment, such as:

  • your name;

  • your contact information;

  • payment and transaction details;

  • billing information; and

  • fraud-prevention and device information.

I do not receive or store your complete card details. Square processes payment information under its own privacy arrangements.

8. Service providers and information sharing

I may use the following service providers to operate the website and commission service:

Squarespace

Squarespace hosts the website, processes and stores website form submissions and provides website analytics.

Google and Gmail

Gmail is used to receive form submissions, communicate with clients and retain relevant correspondence.

Apple and iCloud

iCloud is used to store reference images, commission files and related working materials.

Square

Square is used to issue payment requests, process payments and maintain transaction records.

I may also disclose information:

  • to an accountant, legal adviser or other professional adviser where reasonably necessary;

  • where required by law, court order or a relevant authority;

  • to investigate fraud, misuse or a legal complaint; or

  • where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

I do not sell personal information or provide it to third parties for their independent marketing.

The providers listed above process information under their own contractual and privacy arrangements.

9. International processing

Some of the technology providers used to operate the website, email, cloud storage and payment services operate internationally. Your information may therefore be processed or accessed in countries outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, I will rely on the protections and transfer arrangements provided by the relevant service provider and any safeguards required under applicable data-protection law.

10. How long I keep information

I will keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

My usual retention periods are:

  • General enquiries that do not proceed: up to 12 months after the last communication.

  • Unaccepted commission requests: up to 12 months after the last communication.

  • Reference images for completed or cancelled commissions: up to 12 months after completion or cancellation, unless they are needed for an ongoing issue.

  • Accepted commission briefs, correspondence and approvals: up to 6 years after completion or cancellation.

  • Quotations, invoices and transaction records: for the period required by applicable tax and accounting rules.

  • Complaint or dispute records: for as long as reasonably necessary to resolve the matter and protect legal rights.

  • Completed artwork used in my portfolio: for as long as it remains relevant to my portfolio, subject to any agreed privacy or release-date restrictions.

  • Website analytics: in accordance with the retention settings applied by Squarespace.

Information may be kept for longer where required by law or where reasonably necessary in connection with a complaint, dispute or legal claim.

11. Cookies and Squarespace Analytics

The website uses cookies and similar technology.

Essential cookies

Essential cookies help the website function properly and may be used for security, navigation and website settings. These cannot always be disabled without affecting the website.

Analytics and performance cookies

Squarespace Analytics helps me understand information such as:

  • how many people visit the website;

  • which pages are viewed;

  • how visitors reach the website;

  • general website engagement; and

  • form and button interactions.

Non-essential analytics cookies are restricted until you make a choice through the cookie banner. You can accept, decline or manage cookies using the controls displayed on the website.

You can also manage cookies through your browser settings, although disabling some cookies may affect how the website works.

12. Security

I take reasonable steps to protect personal information from loss, unauthorised access, misuse or disclosure.

These steps may include:

  • password-protected accounts and devices;

  • access controls;

  • secure payment processing;

  • keeping software and services updated;

  • limiting access to commission information; and

  • deleting information when it is no longer required.

No method of online transmission or electronic storage is completely risk-free. If I become aware of a personal-data breach, I will assess it and take any steps required under applicable law.

13. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis being used, you may have the right to:

  • ask for access to personal information held about you;

  • ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;

  • ask for information to be deleted;

  • ask for the use of your information to be restricted;

  • object to certain uses of your information;

  • receive certain information in a portable format; and

  • withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

These rights are not absolute, and a request may be refused or limited where a legal exemption applies or the information must be retained for another lawful reason.

To exercise a right, email sarahlgowercommissions@gmail.com. I may need to ask for information to confirm your identity before acting on a request.

14. Data-protection complaints

If you are concerned about how your personal information has been handled, please contact:

Sarah L Gower
Email: sarahlgowercommissions@gmail.com

Please explain:

  • what you believe has happened;

  • which information is involved; and

  • what outcome you are seeking.

I will acknowledge a data-protection complaint within 30 days, investigate it appropriately, keep you informed where necessary and explain the outcome.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator for data protection.

15. Children’s information

Commission services are only available to people aged 18 or over.

If you are under 18, please do not submit a commission request or provide personal information through the commission form.

If I learn that information has been submitted by someone under 18, I may delete the submission unless there is a lawful reason to retain it.

16. Automated decision-making

I do not use personal information to make decisions about commission requests through solely automated decision-making or profiling.

Commission requests are reviewed personally.

17. Changes to this Privacy Notice

I may update this notice where the website, services, providers or legal requirements change.