After a childhood in Spain, Hulings studied drawing and anatomy under Sigismund Ivanowsky and then with Bridgman at the Art Students League in New York. He left the art world to obtain a degree in physics from Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Ill health required that he move to the dryer climate in the West, so he relocated to Santa Fe where the strong local art community inspired him to return to his painting. In 1946 he had regained his health and moved to Louisiana where he became known for his portraiture. He also worked there as a freelance illustrator before moving back to Santa Fe in 1957 where he lives today and continues to work on his landscapes, portraits, and illustrations.