Melissa Beowulf grew up in Sydney, where she became a graphic artist. After moving to Canberra with her young family in the late 1980s she worked as an administrator, while co-directing an art and bonsai business with her husband Thor. She began to specialise in portraiture and sculpture, selling her portraits at the Old Bus Depot Markets and Leichardt Street Studios (now M16 Artspace). Her portrait of Ken Done was a finalist in the 2000 Archibald Prize and in 2001 her portrait of Brian Kennedy was selected for the Salon des Refuses. She was a finalist in the Portia Geach Prizes of 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2003, when she was highly commended. The National Portrait Gallery acquired her painting of Nancy Wake by gift of L Gordon Darling AC CMG in 2006, and her portrait of Donald Horne in 2015.
