You've made your New Year resolutions. The one on your list that says, "Do something creative in 2006" is already fading into the shadows. Yeah, you've half-heartedly considered painting and pottery classes, but feel intimidated by the time commitment. You have a full-time job, after all, and/or a family, and there just isn't enough time.

Artists Linda Kane and Jinni Mitchell, both former art professors, have come up with a solution: Pineapple Painting Tours.

Armed with an arsenal of high-quality art supplies, a tent and a delicious catered lunch, Kane and Mitchell will take you out for an affordable plein-air painting lesson in the morning or afternoon. Aspiring Monets set up at locations such as Makapu'u (right outside the beach parking lot) and Kualoa, for a view of the fishpond and Ko'olaus or the ocean and Chinaman's Hat.

Kane taught drawing and painting at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa for 17 years. Her work has been exhibited in juried shows and is in the collection of the State Foundation for Culture and the Arts. Mitchell, a former student of Kane's, is an award-winning artist who has exhibited and taught in New Mexico and Honolulu.

I talked to Kane about her new venture.

Q. How did you come up with the concept?

A. Jinni Mitchell took her first painting class from me. We've kept in touch. Last April, we saw each other and talked about the complications of teaching and taking care of our ailing parents. We recognized that we needed more flexibility in our work schedules and came up with this idea: We pick up tourists, take them out on location and give them a watercolor painting lesson, provide all the supplies, feed them lunch and have the end result be a souvenir of the Islands that they created themselves. We saw it as an opportunity to do something we love, bring people along with us and have the flexibility outside of our university schedules to care for our parents. In May, we developed the idea further.

Q. Do you mean that you made it legitimate?

A. Yes. We met with a bank officer who was really supportive of the idea and gave us a loan. We purchased a 15-seat van, insurance and top-of-the-line art supplies. We created a brochure and a Web site. We have already taken out our first tours and made arrangements with some hotels. In a way, putting the business together was like creating art. We treated it like an art project and went about it in a creative way. The response has been extremely positive. It's like all the doors are opening for us.

Q. What can a participant expect from a painting tour?

A. Our lessons incorporate an Eastern way of thinking about the world. Time is slowed down. We encourage people to take time to really see what's around them and create a unique memento of O'ahu. The 4 1/2-hour tour provides transportation to any number of beautiful places on the island, a 45-minute watercolor lesson and demonstration, the use of high-quality art supplies, refreshments and a catered lunch under a tent.

Q. Could this be intimidating for someone without any art education?

A. I like to turn people on to art and bring art into people's lives. Art in our society is not celebrated like it is in European countries. But like any kind of artwork, it's more about the journey than the end product. We encourage everyone to be different. We'll teach them the basics, but this isn't formulaic painting. There isn't one certain way to paint. Nevertheless, we've simplified the process by setting up the watercolor trays with a chart of colors to assist them in selecting the colors they want to use for their painting.

Mainly, it's about getting outdoors, relaxing, seeing, experiencing and internalizing the beauty of Hawai'i. People will always come up with excuses for why they can't do it, but it's always good to jump in.

Q. How big are the groups, and what's the minimum age?

A. We can take 14 people at a time (this includes two teachers and an assistant/caterer). At this point, we think 10 years is the minimum age for children on the tour.

Q. Are you focusing on the tourist market; can residents join tours?

A. Of course, we'd love to take residents out. It's a great activity for families and relatives visiting from the Mainland. We have kama'aina rates and can arrange bookings for specific locations at different times of day. At this point, we are flexible. People are so busy and consumed with doing too much. This gives people, tourists and residents alike, a chance to meet other people, connect and enjoy a creative experience together.

Q. Will you have time to focus on your artwork?

A. Definitely. I am working and planning a 2007 show with a group of artists for the Academy Art Center at Linekona.

But what is also really important to Jinni and me is that we give back to the community. It's in our mission statement. We have plans to work with youth at risk, the elderly and others. Our main purpose, which serves us and serves others, is to expose people to art. Without art, I believe this world is a pretty dry place.