In Desere Mayo’s hand-drawn pencil portraits, she captures the essence of her subjects—every line, strand of hair and wrinkle reflecting their pains, triumphs and passions.
“I capture someone’s whole life in a piece of art,” she says. “When my drawing brings tears to someone’s eyes, I know I’ve done my job well.”
Mayo specializes in pencil drawings and regularly contributes to UMOJA, where her artwork has graced four covers this year, starting with Terrence Roberts in February.
“When I learned Terrence Roberts, a member of the Little Rock Nine, would speak at Overture Center for the annual MLK Day Observance, I drew his portrait,” Mayo recalls. “I met him at the reception, and a copy of my drawing appeared on the UMOJA cover.”
The March issue showcased her collage of 30 women, the April cover featured American Bar Association president-elect Michelle Behnke, and the June cover honored Juneteenth with a nine-person collage.
Mayo began drawing at age three, using her mom’s Bible as her first canvas, which her mother still treasures.
“I was always drawing—designing fashions, creating cartoons and redrawing images from my coloring books,” she says.
Her mother nurtured her artistic talents, giving her opportunities to learn about clay, crocheting, sewing and more.
In eighth grade, after seeing a peer draw people, Mayo wondered if she could do the same. But her teacher discouraged her, telling her she couldn’t. This was a pivotal point in Mayo’s artistic career. With the support of her family, she decided she could and would learn to draw people. The next year, Mayo’s high school art teacher taught her to draw her first person—a young Asian woman.
“My Creator created me to create,” she asserts, a belief that guides her work.
After high school, she briefly attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where she honed her shading skills.
“I learned to make the shading fade, giving the picture depth,” she explains. “I love using shading to make my pictures realistic.”
Back in Canton, Ohio, she drew familiar faces and icons like Frank Sinatra and Audrey Hepburn. When her mother asked, “When are you going to draw Black people?” Mayo began researching their stories through her art. One of her first subjects was Frederick Douglass, whom she sketched dozens of times.
“Learning I could make copies of my prints was a revelation,” she jokes. However, repeating subjects helped refine her technique.
Mayo moved to the Madison area in 2007. As her sons entered school, she began engaging with students in her sons’ schools. During a Black Excellence Assembly at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in 2018, Mayo showcased a time-lapse video of her portrait drawings of famous African American figures. Students read the biographies of these figures to learn about them and their contributions. Principal Kelly Lawler bought nine portrait drawings from the presentation. The portraits now hang proudly in the school library.
“I want students to see people like themselves and understand that if they have a dream, they can achieve it,” Mayo emphasizes. “I want to tell them, these people did it before you, so you can do it, or you can be the first to do it.”
Mayo’s artwork now adorns each of her sons’ Oregon schools.
As a para-professional for the Oregon School District, she recently obtained her commercial driver’s license and became a bus driver—her first step toward creating a mobile art studio to take to area schools. She aims to inspire students by showcasing individuals who have made significant contributions.
When selecting a subject, Mayo conducts extensive research to tell their stories.
“Doris Miller, the first African American awarded the Navy Cross; US Army soldier William Henry Thompson, a posthumous Medal of Honor recipient; George Speck, who invented the potato chip—people don’t know these stories,” she explains. “I want to teach others about them through my drawings, ensuring they are never forgotten.”
Mayo has drawn extensively for National Hispanic Heritage Month and is working on pieces for Native American Heritage Month.
“Children need to see themselves represented in schools,” she insists. “All nationalities should be celebrated together.”
Mayo is thankful for God giving her amazing parents and a family who loves and supports her. She is thankful for her husband of 21 years and her three boys. She is thankful for everyone who buys her art and supports her.
“I’m grateful to share my God-given talents and help kids learn about history and diverse cultures,” she said.
Mayo has created over 400 drawings, each telling a story worth knowing. Discover more about her work at designbymayo.com.
