Privacy policy
Last updated: October 2026
At a glance
- Your photos stay private. We never sell your photos, never share them publicly and never use them in our marketing. The only services that see them are the ones that help us make and deliver your artwork.
- We use AI to help paint your artwork. Your photo is shared with Google's Gemini, the tool that helps us create it. Under the paid service we use, Google doesn't use your photos to train its AI.
- We delete your photos. If you don't place an order, your photos and previews are deleted after 3 days. If you do, we keep them for 2 weeks after delivery for prints and canvases, or 2 weeks after payment for digital-only orders, so we can make sure everything is OK. After that, we delete them. You can also ask us to delete them at any time.
- Your card details stay with Stripe. We can't see your card details and we never store them.
- You're in control. You can ask to see, correct or delete your information whenever you like.
More detail on each of these is below.
Who we are
Painted Memories is a small start-up business run by two artists based in the UK. Our Expressive style is based on our own paintings, built on over a decade of painting, and our Classic style is inspired by traditional oil portraiture.
We are responsible for looking after your personal information. In data protection law, this makes us the "data controller". We follow the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
If you have any questions about this policy or your information, please get in touch:
Painted Memories
Address: 5 Brayford Square, London, E1 0SG
Email: info@paintedmemories.co.uk
What we collect
- Photos you upload. These may show people, pets, homes or meals. A photo of a person counts as personal information.
- Previews and artworks we create from your photos.
- Your order details. Your name, email address, delivery address and what you ordered.
- Payment confirmation. Stripe tells us your payment has gone through. We never see your full card number.
- Messages you send us, for example if you contact us for help.
- Basic technical information, such as your browser, device and the pages you visit.
How we use your photos
We use your photos for one thing only: creating your artwork. Here's what happens.
- You upload your photos. If you accept cookies, we save them so you can come back to them and create up to 5 free previews in each style.
- We create your artwork. Your photo and a description of the style you chose are shared with Google's Gemini, the AI tool that helps us create your artwork. We don't send your name, email or address to Google. Google may process your photo outside the UK, including in the United States. Under the paid service we use, Google doesn't use your photos or artwork to train its AI.
- We check and print your order. If you order a print or canvas, we send the finished artwork to our print partner. We then post it to you.
We don't use your photos for facial recognition, advertising or anything else.
We never use your photos or artwork in our marketing.
Who we share it with
We only share what each service needs to do its job. Each one must keep your information safe and can't use it for anything else.
| Who | Why | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Google (Gemini) | Creating your artwork | Your photo and the chosen style |
| Stripe | Taking payment | Your name, email, address and payment details |
| Our print partner | Printing your order | Your finished artwork and order details |
| Royal Mail or our courier | Delivering your order | Your name and delivery address |
| Lovable | Hosting our website and storing files | Photos, previews and order details |
| Our email provider | Sending order emails | Your name and email address |
We may change our print partner from time to time to get you the best results. Any print partner we use must follow the same rules.
We may also share information if the law requires it.
We never sell your information.
How long we keep it
| Information | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Photos and previews, if you don't order | 3 days |
| Photos and artwork, if you order | 2 weeks after delivery for prints and canvases, or 2 weeks after payment for digital-only orders, in case there's a problem with your print or you need your file again. They're then deleted automatically |
| Order records | 6 years, as required for tax |
| Messages you send us | 2 years |
You can ask us to delete your photos and artwork at any time. Just email us. The only thing we can't delete early is order records, which we must keep by law.
Cookies
Cookies are small files saved on your device. If you accept cookies, we use one to remember your photos and previews, so you can come back to them and use your free previews.
If you decline, you can still look around the website, but we won't be able to save your previews.
You can change your mind at any time by clearing the cookies in your browser.
Photos of other people and children
You must be 18 or over to place an order.
If you upload a photo of someone else, you're confirming that you have their permission. For a child, you're confirming that you're their parent or guardian, or that you have their permission.
If you think a photo has been uploaded without permission, please email us and we'll delete it.
Your rights
You can ask us to:
- show you the information we hold about you
- correct anything that's wrong
- delete your information
- stop or limit how we use it
- give you a copy to take elsewhere
- withdraw any permission you've given us
Just email us. We'll reply within 1 month.
Why we're allowed to use your information
The law requires us to have a reason for using your information. Ours are:
- To complete your order, such as creating your artwork, taking payment and posting it to you.
- Your permission, for cookies.
- The law, for keeping tax records.
- Running our business properly, such as keeping the website secure and helping customers.
Keeping your information safe
We take care to protect your information and only collect what we need. If anything ever went wrong, we would tell you and the Information Commissioner's Office as the law requires.
Complaints
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Changes to this policy
If we update this policy, we'll change the date at the top of this page.