During the process, they were approached by a Rancher who asked them to review her sketch of a horse. They were very impressed with her artistic capabilities and, through discussions with Wagner, a new program was born, directed by Mallét and Redhawk, to help the Ranchers develop their artistic skills to their fullest potential. Some Ranchers have professed that, because of their participation in the Fine Arts Program, they have learned to see the world differently and become more aware of nature around them – the clouds, purple shadows on red rocks, distant hills.

Of their experience, Mallét and Redhawk noted: “As we began to teach the fundamentals of painting, we learned even more in return. Teaching required patience and compassion but we also needed to understand the abilities of each student and to gain their trust. As we watched our students work and blossom, we began to understand the blessings of our mission. Individual students have flourished and the amazing part is that the rest of the Rainbow community has supported their efforts, praised their paintings and shared in a communal pride in the artwork.”

Rainbow Acres is very grateful for the volunteer work of Mallét and Redhawk, whose vision and passion has made this program such an incredible experience for the Rainbow Acres community.