- She led two separate artistic lives: her public art, which she made a living from, was mostly landscapes and other natural forms, while her more secretive “life’s work” consisted of abstract, symbolic and spiritual paintings. She had at one point tried to have this work shown publicly but was rejected. She later requested that these paintings be kept hidden until at least 20 years after her death, saying that the world was not ready for it.
- She was a principal member of a small spiritualist group called “The Five,” which consisted of five women who held seances and created a new system of mystical thought, based on messages they had received from higher spirits they called The High Masters. Her spiritual beliefs were the basis of her “life’s work,” i.e. her secret paintings. She felt that she was being directed by the High Masters to make these paintings for their “Temple,” something she did not understand the meaning of.
- In 1908, she showed her work to occultist Rudolph Steiner, but he left unimpressed, which upset her so much that she supposedly did not paint again for four years.
Story: After a falling out with her coven sisters who opposed her claims of a special connection with the High Masters, Hilma sought validation from Rudolph Steiner, a well-known occultist who she had respected for a long time. Unfortunately, he didn’t find her art impressive or her claims convincing, which resulted in her falling into a depression, ceasing to paint and beginning to doubt her beliefs.