Elena Valerie Artist - Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 11, 2025

1. Our Commitment to Privacy

Elena Valerie Artist (also referred to as Elena Valerie Art or Elena Valerie, "we," "us," "our", ABN 89618812032) is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients and website visitors ("you"). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you interact with us, inquire about our services, commission artwork, or use our website (www.elenavalerie.com.au). We handle your information responsibly and in accordance with applicable privacy principles.

2. What Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

Contact Information: Your name, email address, phone number, postal address.
Booking/Event Information: Details about your event (e.g., wedding date, venue) required for live painting services.
Commission Information: Reference photos (which may include images of people or pets), descriptions, specific requests, and details necessary to create custom artwork.
Communication Records: Records of our communications with you (e.g., emails, notes from calls).
Payment Information: Information required by our third-party payment processors (see Section 6). We do not directly store your full credit card details.
Website Usage Information: Information about how you use our website, potentially including your IP address, browser type, device information, and pages visited (collected via cookies and analytics – see Section 9).
Promotional Information: Photographs or videos taken by us during live painting events or of completed artwork, which may incidentally include individuals (handled according to our Terms & Conditions).

3. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information directly from you when you:

Fill out a contact or inquiry form on our website.
Communicate with us via email, phone, or social media.
Provide details during consultations or the booking process.
Supply reference materials for a commission.
Make a payment.

We may also collect website usage information automatically through cookies and analytics tools when you browse our website.

4. Why We Collect and How We Use Information

We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes:

To respond to your inquiries and provide quotes.
To schedule and manage bookings for live painting events and commissions.
To communicate with you throughout the artistic process.
To create your unique artwork based on your requirements and reference materials.
To process payments for our services.
To arrange for the shipping and delivery of completed artwork.
To maintain our business records.
To improve our website and services (using anonymised or aggregated data where possible).
For promotional purposes, subject to the permissions and opt-out options outlined in our Terms & Conditions (Section 13).

5. Disclosure of Personal Information (Third Parties)

We do not sell or trade your personal information. We will only disclose your personal information to third parties when necessary to provide our services or as required by law. This may include:

Shipping Carriers: To deliver your completed artwork (providing name, address, and contact number).
Payment Processors: To securely process payments (see Section 6).
Website Hosting & Analytics Providers: To operate and improve our website (typically handling aggregated or anonymised data).
Legal Requirements: If required by law, court order, or government request.

We take reasonable steps to ensure these third parties handle your information securely and only for the necessary purpose.

6. Payment Processing

We use third-party providers for payment processing, primarily PayPal and Stripe, for handling credit/debit card payments securely online. We may also accept direct bank transfers (please confirm/adjust if bank transfers are not accepted). When you make a payment via PayPal or Stripe, your payment information is provided directly to them, and their use of your personal information is governed by their respective privacy policies. We do not directly store your full credit card number on our servers. For bank transfers, we only process the information visible through standard banking procedures.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect your personal information from loss, theft, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. This includes secure storage of digital files and communications. However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, provide you with our services, maintain necessary business records, and comply with our legal obligations (e.g., tax requirements). Reference photos provided for commissions will be securely deleted after a reasonable period following project completion, unless specifically agreed otherwise for portfolio or record-keeping purposes (subject to privacy considerations).

9. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use "cookies" (small text files placed on your device) and analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to enhance user experience, analyse website traffic, and understand how visitors use the site. Cookies may collect information like your IP address and Browse behaviour. You can usually manage or disable cookies through your internet browser settings, but doing so may affect the functionality of our website.

10. Your Rights (Access and Correction)

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to request corrections if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date. Please contact us using the details below if you wish to make such a request.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to other websites not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content or privacy practices of any third-party sites or services.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the updated policy on our website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. The effective date at the top indicates the latest revision date.

13. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us:

Elena Valerie Email: Phone: 04 20 883 712
Email: art@elenavalerie.com.au
Royal Pines Riverside, The Blvd, Benowa QLD 4217 Gold Coast, Australia