Random Thoughts

Evergreen the Rescue

Evergreen the Rescue For those of you that have been following us on Instagram – you have probably seen some photos and short stories about Evergreen, the newest four legged member of our family who we rescued from a shelter in Washington. Well I wanted to tell you more about our experience, how well she […]

Black Beetle Bug Book Launch

We had our fantastic Black Beetle Bug book launch at The Salem Public Library this September. Publisher Gina Ochsner shared the Underdog Press vision to serve the inspiring underdogs out there who’ve been told, “No.” Author Kim Kailuweit and illustrator Diana Smith talked about their creative process as individuals and working together as a team. […]

A dream come true

Working as an artist truly is “my dream come true”. All I ever wanted to be growing up was an artist, however other people in my life strongly discouraged me in this pursuit. Chasing this dream has been a challenge, but worth every bit of my effort. You can see the results of this dream […]

Smiling spider

Each drawing in The Black Beetle Bug has its own story of how it came to be. The inspiration for the speedy spider came from Halloween cards I made for my daughters when they were toddlers. While the cards no longer exist, the smiling spider image remained in my thoughts simply because he had made […]

Have you smiled today?

One of my favorite things to do is always share my smile. It amazes me how others respond with a smile of their own, thus brightening both my day and theirs! ☺ Visit www.underdogpress.us to view the big smile on the face of The Black Beetle Bug! Printed in the USA – Illustrator Diana Smith

My drawings come to life

The first time I read The Black Beetle Bug tongue twister, images of the black beetle and the speedy spider formed quickly in my mind. Being asked to illustrate The Black Beetle Bug is a dream come true for me. I am excited for the opportunity to share these happy and delightful images with you. […]

Did someone say tongue twister?

Have you ever had creativity give birth while out on a walk with your kiddo? The Black Beetle Bug emerged from such an occurrence. Liam, my four year old son bent down and inspected a black beetle bug crawling inside the crack of a sidewalk. I said to him, “Look at the black beetle bug,” […]