Christmas market collection

Christmas Markets & Paint-Stained Gloves

I’ve visited many Christmas markets over the years, but somehow they never lose their magic. Maybe it’s the lights, maybe it’s the smell of roasted almonds and spices in the air — or maybe it’s the way winter slows everything down just enough to really see.

This time of year is especially magical in Germany. I live close by, and every winter I find myself returning again and again to these markets with my sketchbook and paints. Wooden stalls glowing in the dark, steam rising from cups of Glühwein, people wrapped in scarves moving slowly from light to light — it’s an artist’s dream.

I love painting Christmas markets on location. Not perfect studio conditions, of course — cold fingers, frozen paint, curious passers-by asking questions — but that’s part of the charm. Painting outside forces you to work fast, to capture atmosphere instead of detail. A few brushstrokes for light, a suggestion of figures, warm colors against deep winter blues.

Over the years, I’ve developed a few personal rules for painting at Christmas markets.The most important one?

👉 Do not wash the brush in the Glühwein.

It sounds obvious, but when you’re cold, tired, and holding a cup in one hand and a brush in the other… mistakes can happen. Let’s just say mulled wine is excellent for warming artists — but not for watercolor techniques.

For me, Christmas markets are not just something to visit; they are something to paint, to relive later in the studio. Each sketch becomes a memory: the sound of laughter, the clinking of cups, the glow of lanterns against the night.

Every winter, I return — and every winter, the markets give me new colors, new moods, and new stories to put on paper. 🎄🎨

And yes, I still follow the rule. Every single time.

Choose your Christmas market art