ALOHA FROM MAUI, HAWAII

I am Tioni Acain, a local artist born and raised on the island of Maui. Growing up, I naturally loved crayons, colored pencils, and paints. I saw rainbows in every object and tried to use #2 pencils to duplicate the image through the precision of detail. I owe all credit to Janet Sato, my high school teacher. There, I was introduced to oil painting by Kirk Kurokawa. Furthermore, I painted a cultural mural alongside Phil Sabado at The Ritz Carlton Maui.

My paintings focus predominately on the beauty in life and things to be thankful for. Past times at the beach, being on my Father’s boat, and camping on the weekends, were experiences I wanted to share. I am inspired most by my family and friends, obsessed with scenery, and motivated by music. As my Father adopted the role of my art critic, his advice and suggestions added value to my paintings. Art is and will always be my passion. With the desire to inspire gratefulness through my art, I hope to do well for the community.

In 2019 while balancing a leadership role at work, I challenged myself by entering the 31st Lahaina Art Society’s annual poster contest with an acrylic painting, "West Maui Lahaina". I won the grand prize. My art piece became a limited edition Lahaina poster in 2020. In an interview, I said, "I wanted to show my children that you can work, handle your home responsibilities, and still make time to follow your passions and do what you love to do…. I truly love painting."

Within the next two years, I was promoted at work from Assistant Manager to Store Manager, then to Area Manager. I was dedicated and focused on developing upcoming successful leaders. However, I knew I still had much more to offer the world. My passion for art never left. Every weekend, I would commit to painting on the porch outside my home. I knew this was my love so the thought of making time to continue to produce quality art excited me. I took the jump and decided to pursue art 100%. With overwhelming support, this is my happiness. I hope others are inspired by the love I have to share with every piece.

In fact, every art piece I do has a hidden heart. Can you find them all? Be inspired. Be of inspiration and color to others.