The beginning, of my art with leftover materials in a simple room

dbwaterman
Nov 16
5 min read

By db Waterman

Visitors to my Studio/Gallery at Strijp-S, Eindhoven, often ask me:

‘How did you ever start making art this way?’

It's a question that always takes me back to my origins — to that small room in my house where, thirteen years ago, my artistic journey took shape once again. Not with luxurious materials. Not with grand plans. But with scraps that happened to be lying around.

A Modest Start: Art with Leftover Materials

When I resumed my ambitions as an artist thirteen years ago, I didn't have money for expensive paint, luxury canvases or professional materials. What I did have were leftovers: old paint pots with dried edges, worn newspapers, yellowed magazines, pieces of cardboard and packaging materials, and my beloved pastel chalk.

I saw possibilities where most people saw waste.

I started experimenting with what I had. I tore, glued, stuck and scratched. I combined media without knowing that it was officially called “mixed media”. I learned that art is not about the most expensive materials, but about creativity, curiosity and the courage to experiment.

My first works were small, simple collages on paper.

They may not have been perfect, but they were real. They were the beginning of a signature style that would slowly evolve into my recognizable style: weathered layers, rough textures, nostalgic atmospheres and landscapes that carry a touch of melancholy.

Inspiration from the Weathered and the Past

I have always been fascinated by old, weathered and worn things.

From old photographs to rusty doors. They have always held a certain appeal for me. I see beauty in forgotten things. I love to make art with leftover materials.

Where others find inspiration in shiny new things, I seek the opposite in surfaces that show time, wear and history.

My favorite and greatest sources of inspiration for creating layers, texture and the look and feel of a work of art are:

Faded posters that have been half torn off a wall
Peeling paint that forms patterns no human could ever imagine
Rusty doors that barely open or close
Weathered concrete with traces of rain, wind and time
Vintage images that have lost their brightness but retained their soul, .
Polaroid photographs

My artworks never have to be perfect. Wear and tear may be visible.

My work is about layers , literally and figuratively.

About the impact of time, memories, scars and beauty in everyday life.

About things that are often overlooked, but that is precisely what gives them meaning.

I try to incorporate all those textures, colors and stories into my work: sometimes subtly in a weathered surface, sometimes more clearly in fragments of text, letters or prints that refer to posters and billboards.

My art is essentially a translation of transience into imagination.

monochrome group of acrobats climbing on top of each other to escape over prison wall with guard watching — THE BIG ESCAPE, Collage and Acrylic on paper, 48 x 35 cm, SOLD

A Style that Developed over the Years

My work began with creating small collages on paper, supplemented with acrylic paint. That changed to slightly larger works on paper. Gradually, I learned new techniques and thus new possibilities.

The materials I used became more extensive, the themes more layered.

But one thing remained constant: my love for vintage, old and weathered materials.

Over the years, I developed my own unique and recognizable style:

Melancholic landscapes with soft, faded tones
Weathered textures that feel as if they have lived
A mix of acrylic paint, spray paint, image transfer, collage, paper, ink and pastel chalk
Slightly surreal scenes that hang somewhere between dream and reality
Lonely figures that suggest a story, but never fully reveal it
Concrete-like surfaces that sometimes seem almost architectural
Letters and texts that refer to posters, billboards or vintage typography

My goal has always remained the same:

to create art that feels like a memory you can't quite place, but immediately recognize.

Art with leftover materials; Art with nothing, but full of stories

Nowadays, I create my artworks with better materials:

professional paint, texture pastes, all kinds of good tools and, above all, sturdy linen canvases.

But I remain true to my origins.

I continue to see the special beauty in things that other people may never notice or even see as rubbish.

My inspiration from weathered concrete walls, rusty doors, yellowed and torn posters remains.

My new paintings often start with a small piece of colour or image, a piece of text or a special texture.

Creating art from nothing, from something small, something neglected, that is my foundation.

The First Sales

I started out making small collages on paper at a small table in my home.

This slowly grew into an ambition: I wanted to share my original artwork with the world.

I started posting my work online on various art platforms. Not with the idea that someone would buy it right away, but more as a way to see reactions to my work. How else could I bring my collages to the attention of others?

To my surprise and great joy, my first works sold quickly.

It gave me the confidence that my style was appealing, that people appreciated that weathered aesthetic, and that my images had an effect on others.

That was the moment when my journey as a professional artist really began.

From there, everything progressed step by step: galleries, exhibitions, art fairs, international projects, and eventually my own Studio/Gallery at Strijp-S, where I now work every day.