[3][4] Helbig was educated at the Mills Academy in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
[3] Helbig began his career as a magazine illustrator in Chicago.
[3] He remained in Chicago for two decades until 1969, when he moved to Kalispell, Montana, to become an independent artist.
[2][4] In his paintings, Helbig depicted the American West, especially cowboys.
[4][5] His work was added to the permanent collection of the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell.