Watercolours and wine. Masterworks’ artist-in-residence Lindsay Hopkins-Weld is offering both as inspiration at a hands-on, social painting class on Wednesday. It’s a gentle introduction to her style of art, which goes on exhibit at the Paget gallery next month.

Q: How did you hear about the Masterworks programme?

A: I must have found it online. I think one of the women who did a residency that I did in Maine did it. I looked at her resume and saw Masterworks and said, “Hey, I could do that”.

Did you know anything about the Island? Had you been here before?

I had been here on a family trip five Thanksgivings ago and knew it was a place I wanted to come back to.

What about Bermuda appealed to you?

Being on an island in the middle of nowhere, the colours, the temperature, another climate.

Coming from Massachusetts, which this year had the snowiest winter, it seemed like paradise.

I’m so lucky [to be here]. I hate to tell my husband what I’m doing every day.

How long are you here?

Two-and-a-half months. It’s great. Time is going fast.

What do you paint?

I mainly paint oil paintings. I guess you could call it contemporary realism. It’s based on realism and I’ve put a little flair in it. I’m doing buildings and a series of wave portraits. I balance the seascapes with rigid buildings.

Do you paint outside?

I actually wander around and take photographs and bring them back [to the studio] and paint them. I want to do plein air, and watercolours outside, but it’s easier to work in the studio and not be bothered by people. It’s more efficient. Maybe when I have a bunch of paintings done then I can kind of relax. I saw the space [in the Rick Faries Gallery] and it’s pretty big. I don’t paint very big so I’ll probably do a ton of small- to medium-sized ones. I spend six to seven hours a day painting. It helps that my husband isn’t here and I don’t have any friends. So no distractions.

Do you plan to sightsee at all?

I go out with the plein air group and I’ve befriended a local artist who says she’ll take me to places. And I think I’ll [eventually] get on a bus and go. There’s so much to see I don’t want to not leave St George’s [where I’m based].

I take it this isn’t your first solo show. How long have you been painting?

This isn’t my first solo show but it’s different when you don’t know anyone here. It will be very interesting to see how my work is accepted and what people say.

How long have you painted?

I’ve been painting off and on for a long time; probably seriously for about 13 years but I’ve always dabbled.

Do you still get nervous before a show?

It’s still nerve-racking. Especially being alone here. There’s nobody to ask, ‘What do you think of this?’ I think by this point I have a good head on my shoulders and I know what’s good or not [but, for example], I’m painting houses — I didn’t mean to but they are so beautiful — and it’s a challenge painting buildings.

What’s your favourite memory of the Island from your last visit?

It was just so beautiful. The water was so inviting. We all went swimming [in November]! We were spending time up in Maine, where the water’s freezing and thought [the water in Bermuda] was balmy.

• Ms Hopkins-Weld’s workshop takes place at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art on Wednesday, from 5.30pm until 7.30pm. It’s open to artists of all levels. Admission is $55, which includes all materials. RSVP on 299-4000. An exhibit of her work will run at the gallery from May 29-June 10. For more information visit www.lhweld.com or bermudamasterworks.com.