Business Monday: Maui artist opens Paint Aloha gallery in Waikōloa with classes for all ages

Maui artist Annabelle Ramil started searching for a new home for her art gallery in Kīhei last October after business dried up following the deadly Lahaina wildfires of 2023.

Looking first on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i, the 49-year-old Ramil ultimately found a home for Paint Aloha – Handmade Art Gallery & Studio at the Kings’ Shops in Waikōloa.

The business, which opened in February, sells her Hawaiian-influenced paintings depicting images of the volcano, animals such as manta rays, whales and sea turtles, and vibrant sunsets. She also teaches art classes for all ages.

The jump to the Big Island also has enabled Ramil to expand her teaching classes.

“There are adults who want to paint and they want to discover their creative side,” Ramil said. “People who have never painted before realize they can actually do it.”

With an arts degree from the Academy of Arts in San Francisco, Ramil said she has the education to help people’s dreams come alive.

Most recently, Ramil said she helped a visitor who took a sunset photo in Captain Cook and brought it to life on canvas through one-on-one classes.

The Kīhei gallery opened in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Maui in March 2020. Ramil said the Kīhei gallery recovered from that slowdown and was doing well before the deadly blazes in 2023 leveled Lahaina’s Front Street to ash. Despite Kīhei being spared from the fires, she estimates she lost nearly 60% of her business when tourists canceled trips to the island.

“I mean, COVID did happen, but at least everyone started traveling again,” Ramil said. “It was getting so much better and then it significantly dropped.”

Between purchasing supplies and paying her lease, Ramil said she was breaking even. So, she thought it was time to look at the neighbor islands for a new home, not just for herself, but for her gallery.

Ramil first went to O‘ahu, primarily looking at the Waikīkī area. While there was a lot of foot traffic, it was “quadruple” the price for rent. So, she moved on to Kaua‘i.

While the Garden Isle was slightly cheaper, “there was no foot traffic.”

Ramil also was looking for a forever home and didn’t feel like Kaua‘i was it. So, she next went to the Big Island.

She checked out Ali‘i Drive, but couldn’t find an affordable space. When she visited the King’s Shops in Waikōloa, she said she found her forever home for her gallery and painting classes in a 918-square-foot space.

Ramil said the management at the Kings’ Shops welcomed her like she was family.

“The people I work next to (Manta Jewelry & Gifts) are just amazing,” Ramil said. “I see them almost every day and we have lunch. They’re like my best friends now.”

The studio is a collection of Ramil’s work that is printed on canvas as well as mugs, totes, coasters, greeting cards and luggage tags.

Ramil also teaches painting every two hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome.

Cost is $45 and comes with water, snacks and a tote bag.

Ramil has a Paint & Sip class for the 21 and older crowd, Monday through Friday at 6 p.m., where they can paint and sip wine. The cost is $65 and comes with wine, cheese and crackers, snacks and a tote bag.

Classes on Saturday and Sunday are by appointment only.

The Big Island and its landscapes are already inspiring Ramil as she recently finished paintings of a goat and a manta ray.

While Ramil has spent some time on the Big Island growing up, she said everything is still pretty new for her and she’s rediscovering and learning something new about the island.

Recently, she did the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Forest Reserve trail off of Highway 190 in North Kona.

“You’re hiking next to sheep and cows, and there’s nothing like that on Maui at all, zero,” Ramil said. “That was amazing.”

Ramil is the second Maui business to relocate to the King’s Shops. CocoNene, a shop that sells whimsical, locally made home decor and wood wall art, opened in October 2023 after its flagship store burned down in the Lahaina fire.

Cheryl Beckley with the Kings’ Shops said Ramil’s passion for creating experiences and her desire to support and give back to the community stood out to the management team.

“Her business brings something very different and memorable to the center,” Beckley said, adding Ramil is a local, incredibly talented artist who offers a unique interactive art experience that really adds to the overall guest experience.

Ramil’s dream has also been to contribute to art scholarship programs for local high school students, which she plans to start next school year.

“I’ve always wanted to give back because I know when I went to high school, I didn’t have anyone to help me out with college funding, and it took me forever to finish paying off my school loans,” Ramil said.

The artist plans to connect with two high schools and give scholarships of $500, $1000 and $2,000.

Ramil has already connected with Kohala Middle School, where she taught a painting class to teachers during Spring Break.