Interview: Painter Michele LeMaitre on the Meaning of Water, Movement and Light

 CURRENT, 108” x 108” x 1.5” Original 2D Interactive Sculptural Mixed Media Wall Sculpture. This piece represents the 24 hour lifespan of a chunk of water that has been seemingly scooped out of the ocean and splashed onto the walls in a controlled but fluid form. The viewer is invited to "swim" around the piece, as if being immersed in water, to experience the interactive changing of colors; From there to become more consciously aware of how their body, mind and soul interacts with water and feels, on a cellular level, when being in, on or around any form of water.

By NOAH BECKER September 10th, 2026

Your sculptures and paintings capture something constantly moving. How do you give physical form to water?

The mesmerizing qualities of water are all about the observation of light, movement and reflection that are created, both as the element and the subject. The artwork consists of many layers of mixed media that reflect natural light, giving it a sense of wetness and continual movement. I sculpt a wet medium onto a wooden panel, shaping forms, for a sense of fluidity. Repetitive patterns and longer strokes emphasize flow; soft, rounded curvy areas suggest movement of an undercurrent pushing the sculptural surface up; inconsistent edged forms suggest agitation from above or below the “water's” surface.
 

REVERENCE, 36" x 36" x 1.5" Original 2D Interactive Sculptural Mixed Media on cradled wood panel.

In CURRENT, you explore a 24-hour lifespan of ocean water. How does time shape the work?

Time is an important concept with my work, which I describe as if sections were cut out of bodies of water, as if frozen in time, to see the details of the water in a specific moment. For this particularly large scaled piece, I conceptualized the 24 hr time period through the purposeful use of repetitive sculpted textural patterns and dark and brilliant colors, suggesting the movement of the water, traveling through time.

You invite viewers to “swim” around your work. How important is their movement to the experience?

Movement is essential to experience my work fully. People are naturally curious by nature and with curiosity comes movement. As one approaches my artwork, they soon realize that their body movement dictates how they experience the piece. The contrasting colors change with their body movement, mimicking their past observations of the ocean, lakes or pools surface colors constantly changing. Most often, people tend to move slowly while looking at the artwork within the space, from side to side, or up and down, as they would, if they are in a body of water. Movement in the colors of the artwork and movement of the viewer's body both work cooperatively for the full experience.

Your surfaces change color as the viewer moves. Do you consider perception part of your medium?

Perception is such a personal experience. I have my own visual perception and interpretation of water to create my artwork. I want to visually stimulate the viewer's senses. There is an alluring quality to the artwork that draws people in, each responding differently to their perception of my artwork, hopefully connecting them to a very personal past moment when they experienced themselves in the water.

Your process is meticulous and controlled. How do you balance that with the fluidity of water?

Opposites can hold truth at the same time. Control can still be fluid, through repetitive patterns, suggesting flow; this helps shape a natural elemental form of the textured surfaces, fluidly. There is a perceived softness to the artwork's hard surface,coupled with the reflective colors that also replicate the water's fluidity through each work of art.
 

SEAWEED, UNDULATING, 12" x 12" x 1.5", Original 2D Interactive Sculptural Mixed Media on Wooden Panel

How does water connect the body, memory, and emotion in your work?

I think my art serves as a form of deep contemplation, awakening the viewer's personal emotions and memories of a time when they were in, on or around actual bodies of water. I am often told “your artwork made me feel tranquil, inspired and transported to the ocean" and " After seeing your artwork, I was more aware of what I was thinking, when I was swimming in the water”. Water holds memory, is tied to human emotion, and communicates with us, on a cellular level. My artwork reminds people of that body-water-emotion-memory connection.

What experiences or ideas inspired The Kelp Forest?

I recalled an experience of being in the water, where I had witnessed kelp blades undulating back and forth, revealing themselves in a dance of reflective light before submerging and reemerging again. The froth bubbled up from the water's movement below, showing the layered depths of colors and patterns within. So much was going on all at once; the movement of the water, the colors changing from the various depths and the reflections of the sun shimmering on the surface. It was an experience of pure magic that I translated into this piece.

LET’S JUMP OFF THE PIER, 12” x 12” x 1.5”, Original 2D Interactive Sculptural Mixed Media on Wooden Panel

 
Your work exists between painting and sculpture. Are those distinctions important to you?

The duality excites me. It allows my multidimensional work to be displayed at all angles, from the floor and walls or even the ceiling. I am not pigeonholed into one specific form of work, as it embodies the two gracefully. Throughout my earlier art career in the 80’s, I began making wooden sculptures in high school that were also handpainted. There was no need to define the separation of distinction between the two art forms, which seemingly created a divide. Today, the “multidimensional” description encompasses both forms so the separate distinctions of my work are inconsequential.

What do you hope viewers feel when they first encounter your work?

I hope viewers are transported back to a moment in time, when they had a connection to a deeply emotional experience with water, on a visceral level. I hope when they are in the water next time, that they observe the water's surface more closely and become more present with their thoughts and how their body feels, when in the water. I hope they recognize the importance of water and how it is our life force that needs protection. Finally, I hope that they acknowledge that artwork in any form, sparks our imagination, connects us all to personal experiences, and reveals more questions than answers.

For more visit: https://thewaterartist.com