Theresa Williams’ designs know how to have a good time. For Tiny Little Monster, an independent T-shirt shop in Shrewsbury, she created supplemental lettering that sparkles with the fun and energy that matches Tiny, the shop’s namesake. At his shop, Tiny Little Monster is either yellow when he’s happy, or green when he’s ridiculously happy. For Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery, she drew cheeky greeting cards that aren’t saccharine or sentimental, just funny and a bit risqué. Her poster designs for the Maker’s Market on Cherokee incorporate a wealth of original typography reminiscent of an old-fashioned circus, with a look that’s nonetheless as fresh as the day. Her designs aren’t just trendy; they’re grounded in the traditions of generations of sign makers, printmakers, and typographers, and they demonstrate her knowledge of sign craft.
“It’s funny,” she says, recalling her years as a visual communications major. “I never took a communications class, only design classes.”
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It’s through her designs that she communicates her clients’ needs to inform, inspire, and maintain a faithful audience. Her understanding of styles captures the essence of their products and services.
“I’ve always been drawn to typography, word art, and handmade elements, so after graduation, I went to Nashville for an internship at Hatch Show Print, the historic print shop,” she recalls. “I worked under Brad Vetter, who is one of my main influences. I worked with a lot of artists whose work is produced there. I got to see how they work, and it was exciting.”
After several months at the internship, Williams returned home to Washington, Missouri, where she took a graphic design job with a T-shirt company. “I quickly realized I didn’t want to sit behind the computer all day,” she says. “When I was in college, I remembered hearing that a couple of grocery stores offered jobs hand-lettering and illustrating signs. I scoured the job boards, got a job in Kansas City at Whole Foods, and stayed there for four years.”
The work agreed with Williams, but she wanted to stretch her wings. She moved to St. Louis in 2015 to start her own company and soon landed customers.
Today, Williams works from her home studio in Tower Grove South. Most years, she makes and sells products emblazoned with her designs—prints of her posters, stickers, totes, T-shirts, cards—but during the pandemic, shows have been canceled. “I do have a shop on my website,” she says, “but I miss the interactions.”
To keep her work fresh, Williams stays abreast of trends in graphics. She follows artists whose work she admires, such as Lisa Congdon, Steve Powers, and Lauren Hom.
She’s expanding her skills through workshops and YouTube: “I took a sign painting workshop with Mike Meyers, who teaches traditional techniques. He inspired me. I’ve practiced my sign painting to take it to the next level.
“That’s where I’m headed…to a fusion of the new with the old, integrating traditional techniques with newer technology.”
