Hello, reader. It’s time for me to explain what this project is so you can see if it resonates with you ✨ and in hopes that if you’d like to add any of these apparel pieces to you (or your dog’s) collection, you can appreciate the love & meaning they were born from.

My name is Elisa Marie, and I’ve worn many hats until now - but I started & am ending with the title of Artist.

As a lifelong & forever destined dog mom (I’ve never experienced the desire for bearing or raising human children), dogs have been one of the only constant sources of joy & meaning in my life.

As a lifelong loner, the bonds I’ve had the privilege of forming with the best dogs in the world (don’t grab your pitchfork - the magic about dogs is that every single one of them is the best dog in the world. That’s what makes them so special.) have oftentimes been the only thing to get me through the unexpected & also universal heartbreaking seasons of life.

There was my first deathbed dog, named Patch - who I’ve shared one story about before. He was a Brittany that was my best friend, partner in crime, and guardian as a child, while my father was building his commercial beekeeping business & my mom, who had immigrated from Colombia to a new world & reality, was figuring out WTF was up with america & learning how to be a mother.

Although not deathbed dogs, a formative part of my love for dogs includes my mom’s unexpectedly successful empire she built breeding & homing Bichon Frisé puppies.

What started out as maybe an unorthodox way of making some money doing something that our home had the space & my mom had the time & patience for ended up resulted in many, many happy families & the excitement that puppies brings, for me & my sisters.

Although I feel like communicating with dogs, appreciating their simplicity & joy has been innate - perhaps it’s the years spent in the born - 8 week stage of life for several puppy litters that have made my knowledge of the care and repetition required to properly care for dogs something ingrained in who I am.

As a child, where my mom’s dogs were less of human companions, and now an income stream (don’t worry, she cared for those dogs & they lived a great life on my family’s multi acre property), and my father’s dogs throughout my childhood were hunting dogs and nothing more, the greatest yearning I ever felt was for a dog of my own.

The first adult death bed dog that changed my life forever was named Vixen.

I was in my last year at University, nervous & unsure what the future held with my degree in Apparel Design & my soon to be husband having recently enlisted into the Air National Guard in hopes of providing for our family & leveling up his already impressive automotive mechanic skills.

One of my best friends at the time had decided to adopt a tiny deerhead Chihuahua mix from the shelter, but wasn’t exactly dog savvy - nor did her parents even remotely let her think the dog was allowed to come home with her after graduation.

The first time I saw Vixen (named “Luca” back then, if i remember correctly) - I experienced love at first sight, but with a dog. Let me know if this has ever happened to you, because I experienced it again, with one of my current pups - Villain.

I offered to babysit Vixen whenever my friend needed, and fell increasingly in love with the little tan spitfire with half folded ears and a curly Q tail that literally stopped strangers in their tracks when they landed their eyes upon her cuteness. I’m not just saying this, it was a recurring experience.

When my friend let me know that the ultimatum from her parents had been given, and there was now an ad on craigslist for her puppy, but did I maybe want her? My heart was set ablaze now that I would be able to call that little angel my own.

And the adventures we had over the two short years of Vixen’s life were ones I’ll cherish forever.

I spent countless hours training Vixen on my parents’ property in the summer heat of 2014, taking her to the elementary & middle school fields I had trekked to from my house for years, growing up through each grade, now as an “adult” to proof her commands & carry out my current studies as a hobby dog trainer.

She got to explore the most beautiful parts of the Oregon wilderness with my husband & I, as light on her feet as a fairy, scaling boulders on hiking trails with ease.

She was my constant shadow & companion throughout the scary & unmapped season of life after graduation. During life as a newlywed, during my first attempt to launch a financially successful clothing brand, through the years I spent apart from my husband while he was in Air Force boot camp & tech school. She kept me company as I spent hours getting ready for my life changing position at the MAC counter inside of Nordstrom, and even back then - I was known as the girl with the dog.

And then, one day, after we had played in the idyllic summer late afternoon, Vixen romping around in the grass of the sprawling yard outside my parents’ house - I drove down the road to put in my time at the gym as I did daily back when my husband & I were long distance - and when I came home, opened the front door & called her name - I learned she was gone.

Having made her way down to the main road, she had been hit by a vehicle and unable to save, like my first deathbed dog, Patch, before her.

At 23 years old, it was my first, true and embodied experience with the death of a being far before it was their time.

And two years after her death, my husband, Alex Serrano, was killed in a vehicle collision, too.

As you can see, there’s quite a literal meaning behind this project. As an artist, art is how I’m returning to my roots to honor things that mean most to me in life, and as a physical form of expression that I can share with others who “get it.”

Beyond the literal homage in the name of “Death Bed Dog Moms,” the unexpected embraces from death in my life have also changed everything about the way I live, and my philosophies in regards to happiness & the meaning of life - at least, for myself.

In that sense, the name & this project also represent a reminder to live like a dog until you die.

Loving others who care for you with your whole being, unconditionally.

Living simply, with gratitude for the blessings the world gives us.

Appreciating & soaking up every moment spent outdoors.

Living in the moment.

Being absolutely and unequivocally unapologetic about who you are, and unafraid to set boundaries with those who you don’t respect your way of being.

Honoring your physical, mental, and somatic physiological needs as a creature with a body to take care of.

Taking baby steps to overcome your struggles, or to achieve your goals.

Being thankful for something as small as a ball, or a stick.

And most important of all -

taking any chance you can get to play.

This is just a handful of lessons I’ve learned from my dogs. I would loveeee to hear the lessons your dogs have taught you.

So with that context being given, I hope you can get a sense of how much meaning these pieces hold, the way they honor my dogs and yours, and how I hope they can serve as a physical reminder when you wear them of how to live your life -

Like a dog. 💖

I would hope it wouldn’t have to be said, but since I’m the one in charge here - I’ll say it anyways.

I know there’s new clothing brands being made every day, people with a dream just like mine, and also empty money grabs made by savvy entrepreneurs who know how to calculate what clothing and designs might sell to consumers.

This is not that.

This is an art project born from love and pain, and it’s uncertain what the future holds for it. If enough people resonate with this project to keep it going, that would be so lovely. But if it’s a limited time project that can’t sustain itself forever, then that’s okay too. It’s an experiment, and I’m so grateful to anyone that has taken the time to listen, & to hop on this ride.

Every piece has been made with intention - and as I’ve said before, quite selfishly. I’ve always viewed clothing as a form of expression, evident by the craaaaaazy styles I’ve sported over the decades and, of course, my decision to spend four years acquiring a degree learning about the history, construction, and business behind clothing.

Getting to learn & help structure the ins & outs of our boutique style, wholesale operated silk screen printing production facility & service based business in Oregon was the last puzzle piece this project needed.

I’ve had the opportunity to learn the ins & outs of different clothing pieces made for different garment decoration methods, I’ve gotten to see what sets pieces apart from the rest and also what shortcuts are made to deliver budget conscious options for those who aren’t looking to offer a premium piece of decorated clothing.

This means these pieces set for sale by me, and made possible by my partner’s screen printing shop, Don’t Lose Hope Screen Print, are pieces made by those who have the experience, discernment, and professional ability to provide what many brands wouldn’t be able to:

* afford

* receive the appropriate ROI on

* even be able to offer at this small of scale

I’ve been able to be as hands on as you can get in this process of bringing these pieces to fruition, while collaborating with other professionals to cover the areas I’m unable to carry out myself.

Okay, now I’ll clarify who this brand is for…..

Essentially, anyone who resonates with the visual aesthetic, and/or the deeper meaning behind the collective art project.

Thanks to my marketing & psychology training, & natural taste, it’s been SO FUN using the “alt dog mom” niche as the simplified target market, because of course that’s who this brand is for when you take it at face value.

Macabre graphics like skeletons & scythes, nods to the occult with pentagrams & moons - oooooof what alt girly doesn’t LOVE???

My personal twist is to also offer this vision in soft & neon PINK…because that’s also me. And maybe it’s more girls, too. We’ll find out!

As an artist, contradictions make me happy. And my own life & the way I live is proof that you don’t have to be one dimensional, predictable, or fit into a box of assumptions that others may have about you.

BUT, I want to explicitly state that as someone who is passionate about inclusivity, just because the project name is “Death Bed Dog Moms” doesn’t mean it’s only for women - I intentionally curated designs that would be gender neutral, without “dog mom” verbiage on every single piece because these pieces are so much more than a self identifying label to wear on the street.

This clothing is for whomever wishes to wear it and embody the values and meaning I described prior. Men, non binary peeps and heck, children, to me that would be rad - anyone is welcome to wear my art. 💖 You don’t have to be a dog mom, identify as a woman, or even like dogs - if you dig the art, then you’re welcome to add these to your collection.

As for this project & how it fits into the framework of my other work, it’s just one way I’m trying to uplift others & embed meaning into your daily life using art works to serve as visual reminders.

This podcast, or these personal broadcasts, are another format I’m using to connect with people like you who love dogs, consider themselves to be deep thinkers & feelers, and don’t shy away from reflecting on life & our place within the universe.

I’m working on structuring these broadcasts into series to help simplify things for those who ONLY want updates on DBDM releases & updates, etc because I knowwww there’s gonna be peeps who don’t care to hear allat from me, and that’s okay!!

For those who are open to hearing further broadcasts from me, I will be continuing to document this experiment of building a brand for My Work - which will include the stories behind my art works, my reflections on dogs, grief, love, creativity, and current events - because that’s the life I live.

As an artist, and not a content creator, I’m happy to say that my priority is my artworks, and not the content creation in order to promote it.

This means that for better or worse, these broadcasts are mostly unpolished & raw as a form of documentation for my own heart, and to help filter out those who are only interested in being entertained by shallow & addictive “content.”

Because although content can be an art form, it’s not the one that I’m called to spend my time on.

Wherever this all will lead me….I wake up every day remembering I will die. And to honor this, I will follow where my heart and my intuition takes me.

Peace & Love,

E.S.

Thank you so much for taking the time to witness my work ✨ I would love if you joined me in this journey by subscribing to these broadcasts on this platform.

The main distribution channel for My Work is via my website, on thepnwdogmom.com. You’ll find human apparel, dog hoodies, and fine art prints available for collection beginning February 14, 2026.

To receive email updates about DBDM & other works, you can join my mailing list on my website, or via this link.

If this piece made you think, I’d appreciate if you shared it on a platform of your choice or sent it to a loved one directly to raise awareness of My Work.

I encourage you to check out my work on the platforms below & subscribe to the channels that resonate most. ✨

Shop human clothing, dog hoodies, & fine art prints at thepnwdogmom.com

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thepnwdogmom.substack.com