Above Treeline on trail in the Wallowas in Oregon

About Above Treeline

Hi, I’m Fran but some people call me by my trail name Nel. I’m the artist behind Above Treeline. There’s two things you should know about me:

  1. I love hiking. And exploring new places (particularly new places in the mountains).
  2. I love to paint the wild places that inspire me.

Here’s a little introduction to my fledgling art business. And how hiking has shaped the art I create.

Above Treeline on a snowy Glen Pass in the Sierra Nevada, California

I’ve always loved exploring. Through my twenties, my life was focused on travel. When I wasn’t off exploring a new place, I was saving up for my next trip.

I was often travelling on a tight shoestring. So, whenever I got to a new place, I would explore on foot, and look for local hikes (the best free entertainment there is). I also got used to sleeping in a tent, and (to my Dad’s consternation) hitching.

I did a few epic hikes along the way (the Inca trail, the W in Torres del Paine, New Zealand’s Routeburn). And I’ve always loved a good walk, having grown up walking in the Lake District and Dales with my family. But I suppose I didn’t really think of myself as a proper ‘hiker’ until I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2015.

After finishing the PCT, I was hooked on long-distance hiking. Over the next few years, my life revolved around either hiking, or saving up for hiking adventures – like hiking the CDT, Canada’s Great Divide Trail, the High Route through the Pyrenees, and trekking in the Peruvian Andes.

I also met my future husband on the PCT. We started meeting up to go hiking in Wyoming’s Wind River Range and California’s Sierra Nevada. On a very chilly night in Red’s Meadow in the Sierras, our friendship took an unexpected romantic turn.

We got married in 2020 and moved to the US soon after. A big part of our decision to live here, rather than England, was the proximity to so much amazing wilderness. So much wilderness that we can comfortably spend the rest of our lives exploring and never get bored.

Above Treeline painting a picture inspired by the Deshcutes River in Central Oregon

Painting feels like a fundamental part of who I am in the same way as hiking. They’re my two happy places.

I studied art in college in England, but I never dared believe I would ever be able to make a career out of it. And I’ve never been massively comfortable with ‘exhibiting’ myself.

Instead I simply ended up painting for pleasure, whenever I could find the time. Creating art inspired by the wondrous places I’d travelled and hiked. And only showing what I had created to my family and most trusted friends.

I’ve always secretly dreamed of making a living as an artist. And at some point over the last few years, I realised that I would regret not trying to make it happen.

So here is my little art shop for your consideration. I hope you like my paintings. Perhaps you recognise some of the spots from your own hikes or adventures.

Or perhaps you’re interested in commissioning a unique painting of a place or trail that’s special to you.

If you’re just browsing, thanks for stopping by! And happy trails!

How I Work

The natural world is at the heart of everything I create. Through my artwork, I aim to inspire people to appreciate the wonder of wilderness, and to encourage everyone to be a good steward for nature

We leave a trace everywhere we go, but I believe it’s important to be mindful about the impact we have on the world. And where possible, to leave the world a little better than how we found it.

They say ignorance is bliss. And it is often harder to make the sustainable or more ethical choice. But I firmly believe that we all need to make a concerted effort to help preserve our magnificent natural world.

Have a question?

Keep in touch

Follow me on social media to find out what I’ve been working on, and where I’ve been hiking.