Marla Bryant was born in Ottawa and has lived most of her life in Chelsea Quebec. She began her art training at Notre Dame high school. She graduated from St Patrick's College in Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science in 1968. She graduated From Ottawa University Law School in 1971. She was called the Ontario Bar in 1973 and practiced Law with the Department of Justice until 1998.

Marla Bryant has had a life long interest in art. She has studied acrylics with Denis Cliff and Jake Mol at the Sir Stanford Fleming School of the Arts and pastels with Carla Bertrand of Chelsea and oils with Jan Czuban of Gatineau. She works in acrylics, oil and pastels.

Her works include scenery; portraits and paintings of indigenous people carrying out every day activities. She is currently living at Meech Lake.