Sawdust and dreams fill the air inside Kevin and Margaret Murphy's garage, a makeshift workshop for their small business Murphy Wood Art.

"Kevin had been woodworking as a hobby for years, and I've always been an art enthusiast," said Margaret.

"We realized that our skill sets were pretty complimentary and we were able to kind of build on each other's talents."

Prompted by personal passion, the husband-and-wife duo originally opened the business in 2020 as a pandemic pastime.

"We had some scraps in the house and we started tinkering in the garage, and somebody said, 'You know, would you ever end up making one of those for me?'" said Kevin. "It just clicked for us. We saw an opportunity to start doing more and more things together."

Four years later, their business has grown, combining different materials and styles to create unique pieces for every customer. "We do everything from canvas art to custom wood pieces," said Margaret.

"Mountain art, wood-burning [and] resin. We do functional art like serving boards and trays…[and] I do a lot of ocean-inspired artwork as well."

The business became a family affair, with the Murphys' kids even getting involved.

"It's probably one of the best parts…we learned from them a lot," said Kevin. "Especially with the graphics and anything tech-related," Margaret added.

In addition to their website (linked above), the Murphys sell their products in a select number of stores throughout Rockland County, as well as local craft shows in New York and New Jersey.

As their business continues to grow, they say they are grateful for the support they have received from customers throughout the Hudson Valley.

"When we have events, we'll have people come out and say [things] like, 'I came here just to catch you,'" said Margaret. "That's such a great feeling because it makes us feel so connected to the community."