Helmut and Ursula started painting late in life. Brother and sister, although separated by 11 years difference in their ages and living apart for many years on two different continents, never broke their strong connection. It was, however, purely coincidence, that they both each started painting at age 50, Helmut in Germany and Ursula in Canada.

Their creativity, which had been so vehemently suppressed by their father for economic reasons, suddenly unleashed itself. Their living environment is very apparent in their art. Helmut paints in a highly populated area in Hamburg and Ursula in rural and wilderness areas of Ontario.