How long is the class?

The class runs about three hours.

Are materials included?

What is included is not listed; plan to bring your own brushes, paints, and surfaces unless otherwise specified at booking.

What is the cancellation policy?

Full refund for cancellations 24 hours or more before class; day-of cancellations are refunded as a gift certificate only.

How many students are in each class?

Group size is capped at eight for personalized instruction.

Is the classroom accessible?

The class is held on a second floor and is not wheelchair-accessible.

Painting the Moody Marsh: Acrylic Workshop on Port Royal’s Tidal Edge | Workshop

The Moody Marsh-In Acrylic sits in Port Royal, South Carolina, and offers a three-hour classroom experience that translates the Lowcountry’s tidal edge into paint. On a bright afternoon or a grey one, Instructor Susan Stone will work in front of you using a muted palette, demonstrating how to shape convincing light and shadow that makes marsh grass, mudflats, and distant live oaks feel dimensional. The class focuses on mood—how a small shift in value or a thin glaze can push a marsh scene from flat to alive. Port Royal’s salt marshes are the real subject here: broad tidal creeks, bands of spartina grass, silt-rich flats, and the brackish water that reflects the sky. Those features give students clear contrasts to study—soft, cool distant tones against warmer foregrounds, weathered fenceposts, and the occasional heron or egret moving like a living brushstroke. Susan paints alongside the group so you can watch her decisions in real time, then try them on your own canvas. Small group size—capped at eight—means individualized attention; expect practical demos, guided palettes, and exercises that isolate shadow, edge, and midtone relationships. The session runs about three hours and is taught in a second-floor classroom; the space is compact and intimate but not wheelchair-accessible. Minimum age is 14, and the instructor adapts critiques to different experience levels, so beginners can follow while intermediate painters get nuanced tips. Bring a willingness to experiment; materials may not be provided, so plan to arrive with your preferred brushes, paints, and a primed surface if you want to work right away. The teacher emphasizes a limited palette approach—muted colors, layered glazes, and economical strokes—so you’ll learn to create atmosphere without overworking a painting. If you’re a landscape painter looking to translate coastal light into convincing form, this class condenses hard-won studio techniques into an approachable, practice-driven afternoon. Practical notes: the class requires a three-hour commitment, and cancellations made 24 hours or more in advance receive a full refund; day-of cancellations are refunded as a gift certificate only. Because the neighborhood is classic Lowcountry, consider pairing the workshop with a short walk on nearby tidal creeks or a visit to Beaufort for lodging and dinner. The Moody Marsh-In Acrylic is an accessible way to sharpen observational skills, practice restrained color choices, and come away with clearer strategies for light, shadow, and compositional focus. Students often leave with a new appreciation for the marsh’s subtle tonal shifts and practical exercises they can repeat in the field, and the small class size encourages frank feedback and individual problem-solving. Reserve early—the eight-person limit fills quickly—and bring reference photos from local walks to connect studio techniques directly to Port Royal’s living, changing shoreline and to continue studying light afterward.