I have brought home cushions of moss since I was little. There is something about the jewel green perfection of moss. The simple way is hugs even the roughest surfaces and upholsters the cool northern faces of the woods. That is where you will find moss as every scout knows. In the steamy south, cool shady places are honored and protected. They are the places where the light loses its bite,and the breeze finds ease.
What I didn’t know until I was much older, the wide range of species of moss. Colors, forms vary widely even locally. It pays to pay attention to these types if you are going to paint cool shady landscapes. Brightly lit landscapes are easy to paint, but in the South, especially along the coast, the sunlight and glare can bleach the color from a sunny vista. Artists compensate by pumping up the color. The real color is in the shade. There is no need to pump the color up to an artificial level.
Try setting up in the shade next time you’re out. It’s more comfortable anyway.