Born in Georgia USA in 1978, Melissa moved to Australian as a baby and grew up in Windang, on the South Coast NSW. Melissa established a career in advertising since 1999, and started portrait and still life painting in 2012. Melissa has been a finalist in many Australian Art Prizes including the Archibald Prize, Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Kennedy Prize, Kilgour Prize, Pirtek Still Life Award, Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize, Brisbane Portrait Prize, Black Swan Portraiture Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Art Award, John Copes Portrait Prize and the Percival Portrait Prize. Melissa won Wollongong Art Gallery’s ‘Postcodes from the Edge Art Prize’ in 2016.