Hi, I am Thea, graphic designer, illustrator –
all round out of the box thinker and problem solver living in Bristol.
My full name is Theadora Adelaide May Welsford – so my pen(cil) name Ada May comes from my two middle names.
A passionate home cook and general foodie, most of the books I own are cookbooks with dreams of designing my own one day. I love to eat out and pretty much anything goes. Thereʼs few foods I wonʼt eat or at least try. Some of my favourite eats are grown fresh in my parentʼs garden or eggs laid by her happy hens who get to roam free range around their woodland field.
I went to uni in Camberwell, South London and I missed the food there with the diversity of cultures whilst living back on the Isle of Wight. Thatʼs something I love about living in Bristol with the amazing produce of the West Country!
Portrait by Luke & Ash Nesbitt
The OG Ventnor Fringe Festival team – anticlockwise: Thea (bottom left), Becky Boucherat, Mhairi Macaulay, Billy May, Jack Whitewood, Joseph Keele-Toms & Nicola Underwood – outside Ventnor Exchange.
A fun fact about me is that I am co-founding member of arts festival Ventnor Fringe, which takes place every July back in my hometown of Ventnor, the sunniest town on the Isle of Wight. Although less involved I’m still working with the team on various design projects to this day.
After leaving London I did a season doing creative production helping design, build and decorate spaces at festivals for an events production company as well as promoting a few of my own gigs over the years. One of those was my own charity event where I threw a punk gig and got my head shaved for Macmillan Cancer Support. I raised £1,700 that evening.
I love live music and the performing arts so always keen to work with other artists and creatives where possible!
I worked for five years with one of the Isle of Wight’s leading marketing agencies, Solent. I am experienced in taking projects from briefing right through to final execution and delivery. During my time at Solent I was able to work with clients across a diverse range of sectors from hospitality to education. In all of my projects, whatever the background I was proud to be able to be consistent whilst still pushing forward creativity.
I’ve worked both with corporate businesses such as Wightlink, an Isle of Wight ferry company, alongside smaller artisanal clients like Isle of Wight Distillery who produce Mermaid Gin. So I was very used to getting comfortable with multiple visual identities and creating campaigns and executions within brand guidelines as well as creating entirely new campaigns and artwork.
“To me, punk rock is the freedom to create, freedom to be successful, freedom to not be successful, freedom to be who you are.”
Now freelancing, I currently live and work in Bristol but work remotely with clients all over the country from London, Newcastle all the way down to the Isle of Wight.
I’ve worked with some great businesses – to name a few… Award winning vegan ice cream brand Beau’s Gelato, Wydlesistas an ethical slow travel brand and London’d largest independent brewery – Forest Road Brewing Company.
In my personal work I am heavuly inspired by social justice in general, but climate change, mental health and human rights oin particularly. In recent years we have seen a real uprising, with these important issues being placed in the spotlight. Iʼd like to build on and continue this grassroots momentum for change and help in any way that I can. I am always looking to do this through both familiar and new mediums.
I love a good challenge and a creative problem to solve, if you like the sound of me and my work get in touch for a chat.