I’m James Ketsdever, a San Francisco Bay Area graphic designer and illustrator. Also Senior Designer and principal at Sara Waters Design Group. I work “digitally” for the most part (short attention span and all that).
Believe it or not this site contains work from me and only me. I am drawn to several working styles, sometimes within the course of one project. I am a photojournalist by training, so a lot of my work consists of images and ephemera from my own image collections as well as those from a variety of lost and found bins. The more “painterly” works are my latest explorations and are ever-evolving. I will always come back to words and pictures in some form, most likely.
Through the years I have noticed that many, perhaps all, of the Ketsdever and/or Mackenzie family members have been gifted with the writing gene. We haven’t all appreciated it, and some have not even known they have it. Those who know and know they know are blessed indeed. Unfortunately, even those who know have often failed to make use of it.
Your blogs here have reminded me that you definitely have the gene, being one of those who have been blessed with multiple talents, gifted beyond measure.
While I chuckled over the blogs, I wondered. Even though we got talent, none of us came into this world with money. None of us starve except on purpose (a tendency to fat being another gene we were bequeathed), but none of us has been invited to meet with Warren Buffett and Bill Gates and join their foundation, either. And correct me if I’m wrong, but blogs don’t pay, do they?
Certainly Andrew Ketsdever isn’t the only one who can write a book. (And if you have never heard of Andrew, you’ve never pored over the internet seeking other descendants of earlier Ketsdevers — Andrew is big, probably very big, in space stuff.)
So when will I see Jim Ketsdever’s name on the spine of a book? Do you share my opinion that you never really know if it’s good unless someone is willing to pay for it? Publishers’ checks have rarely crossed my palm in payment for my small efforts. To be honest, the word rarely should be changed to almost never. Sorry, your blog commander says this is The End.
But I feel I’m not old to try, so I’m working on it. Isn’t it lucky my inherited gene wasn’t ice skating or skiing or tango dancing? Then I would be too old.
It’s been a long time, Jim. I remember staying at your house when the Ketsdever Reunion was in Walnut Creek. The 2012 Reunion will be in Carlsbad and I’ll send you information if you’ll share your email. If you have other family members who would like info, send their email addresses as well. We are attempting to update a Ketsdever directory. I look forward to hearing from you. Take care.
Hi Jim,
Wow. Talk about a vice from the past. My sisters and I were just looking at a photo of a group of us kids at a family gathering and I’m sure you’re in it, along with Bruce and Johnny. Sure. Please send anything you have about the Reunion to my jim@foolishfire.com email address.