TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The following terms and conditions apply to the commissions service provided by Laura Cotter Fine Art to you, the Client.

By booking a commission or making any purchases from Laura Cotter Fine Art, you’re agreeing to the following friendly terms and conditions.

Acceptance

It is not necessary for the Client to have signed any document for these terms and conditions to apply. If the Client commissions a portrait from Laura Cotter Fine Art then the Client will be deemed to have satisfied themselves as to the terms applying and have accepted these terms and conditions in full.

Please read these terms and conditions carefully. Any commission or use services implies that you have read, understood and accepted these terms and conditions.

Price Quotations

Charges for services to be provided by Laura Cotter Fine Art are defined in the price quotation that the Client will receive, upon request, via email. Quotations are valid for a period of 30 days. Laura Cotter Fine Art reserves the right to alter or refuse to honour a quotation after expiry of the 30 days.

Additional Expenses

The Client agrees to reimburse Laura Cotter Fine Art for any additional expenses incurred for the completion of the work. Examples of these instances would be the framing of your portrait on request,  postage or courier charges for international orders, extra travel expenses for delivery etc.

Booking Your Commission

To secure your commission slot, Laura Cotter Fine Art requires a 25% non-refundable deposit which is payable via bank transfer or Paypal. Just let me know when you are wanting the commission to be completed by and I will do my best to accommodate you depending on how booked up my drawing calendar is. I am often booked up months in advance so I do recommend you book as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Once your deposit is received your booking of the commission is secured for my next available date, I’ll provide you with an estimated completion date. If there is a special occasion that we are working towards (such a birthday gift or Christmas present), we will plan on an early completion date to allow for framing and postage etc.

Photo Provision

The Client will be required to provide suitable photographs for the commission work to be produced. The Client must have permission to use such photographs & it is their responsibility to not breach any copyright laws.

Working Together on the Brief

We’ll work together to decide which is the best reference photo to base your commission on.  We will discuss the best size and colour paper for your artwork and note any artistic adjustments you would like me to make, for example – if you don’t want me to draw the collar or harness shown in the photo, I can edit this out.

If you’ve chosen to have your artwork framed through me, we’ll discuss your preferences for style and colours. I work with a fantastic local professional framer. By booking framing through me, you’re choosing the frame and style choices we make for your artwork and the additional cost which I will include in your invoice.

The brief will confirm the commission date we’ve set and the estimated completion date. I’ll need you to check through the brief, give it your approval, and let me know if there are any changes you’d like. I won’t start working on your commission until you are happy and give me the green light.

Artwork progress

Once work commences on a Clients portrait, Laura Cotter Fine Art will let you know of the progress of the artwork.

Laura Cotter Fine Art reserves the right to share “drawing in progress” photos to social media unless the Client expresses this not to be done. eg a surprise present

Receiving the Proof

Once your commission is complete, Laura Cotter Fine Art send you a digital photograph of the artwork for your approval. At this stage only very minor adjustments can be made.  Once you give the thumbs up on the artwork, the final balance will be due. You can make payments through BACs or Paypal, whichever is more convenient for you.

Receiving Your Commission

As soon as the final balance has been paid, Laura Cotter Fine Art will send your commission in the post by recorded delivery. It will be carefully boxed for posting it on its onward journey to your doorstep!

Collection

You are welcome to collect your art in person at the studio by appointment. Please contact me beforehand to arrange a date and time.

Payments

Invoices will be issued by Laura Cotter Fine Art upon completion of the Artwork & before collection/delivery. Invoices are primarily sent via email. The Client will also be required to provide a current postal address to receive hard copy invoices if requested. Payment in full is due within 7 days of invoice. Please note, unless specifically agreed to by both parties prior to the issuing of an invoice, Laura Cotter Fine Art does not accept payment in part or via instalments.

Laura Cotter Fine Art accepts payment by the following methods (in order of preference):

Bank Transfer (BACS)
PayPal*

For termination before completion of commission

If the client chooses to terminate the services of Laura Cotter Fine Art after agreeing a commission arrangement but before the commissioned project is complete, Laura Cotter Fine Art reserves the right to retain any non-refundable deposits paid.

Should the Client cancel the commission agreement after the Artwork has been completed, Laura Cotter Fine Art reserves the right to charge up to 85% of the total projected costs. The scale of the charge will be dependent on the discretion of Laura Cotter Fine Art and the stage of the project at the time of cancellation.

If communication breaks down on the part of the Client for a period of 30 days (that is, the Client fails to reply to a communication from Laura Cotter Fine Art ) Laura Cotter Fine Art will issue a warning email. If this warning email is not replied to (and communication does not resume) with a following period of 30 days, Laura Cotter Fine Art reserves the right to terminate the commission. In this event, all deposits paid will be retained by Laura Cotter Fine Art and the commission will be cancelled. If the Client wishes to continue the commission at a later date they will be required to request a new project quotation, sign a new Commission Agreement and pay a further non-refundable deposit.

Satisfaction Guarantee

I want you to be absolutely happy with your commission. That’s why I offer a 7-day satisfaction guarantee, starting from the day you receive your commission. Within this period, you can request a full refund on the balance paid (deposit is non-refundable).  If in the unfortunate event that you are not happy, then you may return the artwork in its original condition within the 7 days of receipt and once returned, you will be refunded on the balance. Unfortunately framing costs will not be refunded.

Import Tax and Duties

If you’re purchasing from outside the UK, your delivery may be subject to import tax specific to your country. It’s your responsibility to handle any import tax and duties that may arise. Laura Cotter Fine Art cannot be held responsible for any additional fees associated with your delivery.

Copyright

Laura Cotter Fine Art retains the copyright to the artwork created from the Clients photo. Laura Cotter Fine Art will not reproduce the Artwork & its usage will not be allowed on any other website apart from Laura Cotter Art website and social media pages, unless the Client gives written permission to do so.

Laura Cotter Fine Art reserved the right to display the artwork on their website and social media pages. If a Client is unhappy about the artwork being displayed, they must declare this upon placing the commission.

The Client retains ownership of the artwork but must obtain permission to share the artwork on social media. If the client wishes to make any reproductions of the Artwork then this must be arranged through Laura Cotter Fine Art only.

Laura Cotter Fine Art retains the copyright to all the artwork created. You may not replicate or reproduce my artwork for any purpose. I reserve the right to use any artwork that I have created for promotional purposes, both online and in physical promotional materials, and also in commercial merchandise.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

Copyright © Laura Cotter Fine Art 2024. All rights reserved.

If you have any questions or need further clarification, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to make this commission experience enjoyable and hassle-free for you.

I’m excited to get started on your amazing commission!