the art of
Marlena Myles
digital artist + animator + fabric/fashion designer + book illustrator
Writing / Blog
My blog features interviews and news articles about my work as well as my writings, reviews and critique about (Native) art.
Fabric Demos
Fabric PatternsI've compiled a set of my newest 2020 patterns added to my spoonflower shop. These feature paisleys, florals, neats, watercolors, houndstooth, lace and more. Each one highlights Dakota medicine knowledge in their floral designs. You can order a Fabric...
Free Coloring Pages of the 3 Sisters/Sage & DIY Seed Packets
Free downloads of Dakota/Ojibwe coloring pages of Squash, Corn, Beans and Sage. Free DIY seed packets you can color too!
(Free download) Lyric Poster Collaboration with Tufawon
This coloring sheet poster I created to celebrate Native American Month in Minnesota. I teamed up with Tufawon (lyrics from his song Sagepatch Kid) and the Hennepin County Library to create a poster that captures the rebirth of Spring through Dakota florals (Tufawon and I are both Spirit Lake Dakota).
Free Coloring Book of Dakhóta plants & Landmaps of Mnísota
Learn about Dakota plants (traditional food & medicinal uses) and landmarks of Dakota homelands in Mnísota through the 1861 Minnesota journey of Henry David Thoreau.
Design your own Dakota Floral worksheet
This worksheet will help you create your own Dakota floral designs. It incorporates elements of coloring books but also gives you the freedom to design something totally unique.
Designing a Puppet in Adobe Character Animator
I thought I would document and share some of my workflow for this Adam Ant animation project for the lyric/music video for “A.N.T.S.” I used Adobe Illustrator to create my puppet before rigging it up in Adobe Character Animator. The pieces were assembled in Adobe Premiere Pro where I added in transition effects to complete the animation.
Essays
Native Art, Native Voices: A Resource for K-12 Learners
12 essays I wrote for the Minneapolis Institute of Art about artworks in Mia’s collection and questions to support deep looking, critical thinking, and discussion. Native Art, Native Voices includes information about Native cultures both past and present and supports Minnesota state standards for visual arts and social studies/U.S. history.