About Art of a Kind

Jessyca Frederick

This website is a passion project of Jessyca Frederick. I’m here exploring the art world and sharing my experiences with you.

My goals are as follows:

  • Help artists thrive (i.e. sell more work on their own terms)
  • Promote art among non-artists
    • Help you buy art produced by living, working artists
    • Encourage you to go out and experience art in the real world, especially in your own community
  • Have fun & make money — because life is short and I still have to eat

What Is Art of a Kind?

Art of a Kind, for now, is a website designed to help you find interesting art you’ll like in a low-pressure environment that feels comfortable, like other online shopping.

My focus is on making art accessible. Accessibility comes in a variety of forms.

Price accessibility is highly variable, so I assume you can’t afford to spend millions of dollars on art, but that your discretionary income leaves room for big purchases, ranging from $500-$50,000.

I also want to make art feel accessible to anyone, regardless of much you know about art history, how art is made, or what an individual piece means. To accomplish this, I refrain from dissertations on art movements (though short descriptions are provided), discussions of nuanced technique, philosophical discussions, etc. I provide the artist’s statement in their own words, and occasionally offer additional information I think is helpful in understanding the place the piece occupies in the canon of contemporary art.

I’m not an art expert, though I have a Bachelor’s degree in the subject. I’m also not an art consultant or an art buyer. I have no relationship of any kind with any of the artists listed on this site.

I make money via affiliate marketing, which is essentially like commissioned sales online. This means if you buy art after clicking links on this site, I may earn a commission.


My Art Story

Among other things, I am an artist. I’ve applied my creativity and problem-solving skills elsewhere for many years, but after all this time, I’ve come back to art — making it and promoting it.

When I started making art in college, it was because I couldn’t fathom the idea of taking four upper-division math classes (I was a math major, after all). I picked up art as a second major because something in me liked the idea and thought it would bring balance.

My professors genuinely encouraged me as best they could — they even invited me to participate in the department’s Honors Studio as a senior. I was not exactly a fully-formed human being yet and I didn’t have a reason for making art beyond “it’s my major” so while my early work is unique, it’s mostly devoid of any real meaning or expression beyond, “see what I can do?”

After graduating from UC San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts – Fine Art Studio, I basically went on a very long art sabbatical. I wasn’t exactly avoiding art. I was excited to learn about website development and I followed career opportunities as they presented themselves.

My subsequent path to making art has been serpentine. I picked up digital photography to learn composition quickly. That was effective. Next, I applied my creative side to the landscape and completed the Landscape Architecture certification at UCLA Extension. I didn’t feel I was a good personality fit for the field so I didn’t continue. Then, much like in college, it dawned on me — I wasn’t spending my limited time on this Earth doing something I find fulfilling. To be inspired, I joined private Facebook Groups for artists (painting, drawing, mosaics, metal clay, and more). After a long while, I finally found that inspiration I needed to go out and start making art again.

To determine what kind of art I wanted to make, what kind of statements I wanted my art to make, how I wanted to reach viewers, I started exploring the art world in depth. And that is how this site was born — as a means to catalog my own journey of art discovery in the digital world.

Ceramic Egg

There is a wonderful local organization called Old Town Artisan Studios here in La Quinta, California. Their mission is to provide “positive art experiences for all people despite age, disability, or financial condition.” Given how much I personally benefit from artmaking, I wholeheartedly support this non-profit organization and their outreach initiatives. One of those delightful initiatives is their annual Eggstravaganza which serves as a primary fundraising event for Old Town Artisan Studios. Artists paint on ceramic eggs (the same size … Read More

6 Original Paintings of Peacocks in a Traditional Style

I love birds. I love them in person and I love them in art. My first piece of public art featured Hooded Orioles because I love birds. One of my favorite birds? Peacocks. They’re just so … majestic. And aloof. The main image on this post is a photo I took of a peacock at the Los Angeles Arboretum where they wander around like they own the place. I sifted through 634 paintings of peacocks on Saatchi Art and found … Read More

24 Original Paintings of Peacocks in a Less-Conventional Style

I think it’s high time for a trend involving peacocks. Their natural color palette is soothing, “put a bird on it” never really gets old, and regal never goes out of style. I sifted through 634 paintings of peacocks on Saatchi Art and found this selection of exceptional peacocks painted in non-traditional styles ranging from abstract to impressionist. Browse more original peacock paintings done in a traditional style.

12 Paintings of Oceans at Sunset that Aren’t Basic

Art has the ability to transport us to another time and place. This is a collection of interesting paintings I found on Saatchi Art which represent the ocean at sunset. It’s a mix of abstract ocean paintings, realistic ocean paintings, and impressionist ocean paintings — all at sunset. As always, I recommend you buy art that inspires you, reminds you of happy times and places, and brightens your space. Enjoy!

Orioles

I’m so excited to have participated in the Palm Springs Benches project in collaboration with The Main Street Merchants of downtown Palm Springs, the Palm Springs Public Arts Commission. #PSPublicArts My bench is located at 865 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262, in front of My Little Flower Shop. It is between the restaurant 849 and the Trina Turk store on the west side of Palm Canyon Dr. About the Art They are sometimes called the palm-leaf oriole … Read More

Veuve Clicquot x Yayoi Kusama

Yayoi Kusama — the world’s highest-paid living artist — has collaborated with famed Champagne house Veuve Clicquot to create a limited edition gift box and label for the 2012 release of Veuve Clicquot’s ultra-premium Champagne — La Grande Dame. View the delightful video comparing Yayoi Kusama and the Widow Clicquot at Veuve Clicquot. About Yayoi Kusama A contemporary Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama is 91 years old and known for eye-bending artwork featuring dots, mind-bending installations of lights and mirrors, and her … Read More

Monet’s Water Lilies Inspire New Original Paintings

Key Takeaway: If you can’t get enough of Monet’s water lilies, you’re not alone. When it’s time to put them on your walls, consider whether you want to buy a sub-standard print of the real deal or buy a painting from a real artist who brings new life to a favorite subject. Monet’s paintings of water lilies are well known. If you feel like your knowledge or your visual picture of these iconic paintings has some holes, check out this … Read More