Roelof Wildeboer (1902-1989)

Roel Wildeboer, born in Meppel, was one of the Meppel painters who was able to live for decades from his art and to earn his living by painting. His parents thought he should learn a trade first; plasterer, first on the Oever in Meppel, later in the 1930s in Hilversum. Because an artistic education was not possible, Wildeboer was completely self-taught. By looking, listening and doing his artistic aspirations began to take concrete shape. As a boy he had already accompanied Jan Sluiters, who was staying at the Kruisstraat in Meppel in t Heerenlogement when he worked a lot in Staphorst in the years 1915-1916. Wildeboer would then carry his painter's box to Staphorst. In the same period, Wildeboer received money from Master Bos, a student at the Vledderschool, to buy his own brushes and a color box. The two Meppel painters with whom Wildeboer interacted most were Idserda and Keizer. Later Wildeboer and Idserda would meet again in Hilversum. The indications of these two men certainly helped Wildeboer, although they were not teachers in the sense of the word for him, he freely admitted that he had learned a lot from Anthony Keizer. .In 1932 Wildeboer established himself as a plasterer in Hilversum. In his spare time he painted more and more. He set up his studio, 'de Wilgenhoek', near the airport. From 1940 he was a painter by profession, and one who knew his possibilities and did not venture beyond them. Over the years he kept his own style; realistic work in usually warm, strong colors and he stuck to his own choice of subject, landscapes ? friendly forest and waterscapes, and still lifes with flowers and fruits. Wildeboer walked through life with good courage and a happy spirit. An optimistic attitude to life that can be found in his work; colorful paintings with meadows, ditches, forest edges, flowers and fruits. Wildeboer's early work is dark in tone and more elaborate. Not put down, but built up. Large, strongly painted Drenthe landscapes, which can be looked at with attention, without knowing everything at a glance and where one can dream away just because of the atmosphere. Gooi en Eembode and received a lot of response. Many of his poems were set to music and sung during broadcasts of the NCRV star evenings in the 1950s. For many years Wildeboer also provided the text for the comic ?Bubbel Big? in the Templar, a publication of the Geheelonthouders? He was a nature person who, year after year, watches the changing of the seasons with awe and wonder, and who also knows how to find the spots himself. Maarseveen was a favorite painting spot of his. Here he made many of his outdoor paintings, real impressionistic work, which was finished in a few hours, so to speak. He knew how to hit these kinds of landscapes: puddles, meadows, forest, raft and hit, making extensive use of the pallet knife. At home, in peace, he was sometimes the fine painter again, who is inspired and concentrated on making his still lifes entirely in the style of the 17th century. If only he said, to prove to myself that I can do something. He made extensive use of the interplay between light and dark, while in his material expression he tried to approach reality as closely as possible and succeeded in doing so very well.