Visual artists typically start with a blank canvas.

For Anne and Tyson Greenwalt, that canvas consists of bricks, rocks and boulders.

Last fall, the Greenwalts diversified their Stuart-based construction and landscaping company with the purchase of about $15,000 worth of sandblasting equipment, which they use to engrave custom images on stone, mirrors, glass, wine bottles and other surfaces.

The portable machinery has allowed the Greenwalts to meet the needs of existing customers who have been vying for the new service, as well as reaching new clients well outside of Guthrie County.

“If you already have a boulder on your land, or in mind, we can come to you and engrave it, wherever it is located,” Anne said.

On Sept. 11, the newly branded company, Carver’s Ridge, will hold a grand opening celebration, which will include an open house and a barbeque. It will kick off with a Stuart Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony at 604 S.W. Seventh St.

“We’ll have a variety of boulders, flagstone, garden rocks, stone spikes and more that you can choose from,” Anne said. “We’ll help you choose the design, the font, the artwork, and we can get started.”

By next summer, Carver’s Ridge hopes to be settled in a permanent location; possibly in Stuart, possibly in Greater Des Moines, definitely in Central Iowa.

“We are in search of land to build a shop, expand our business,” Anne said. “Whatever we can get that is in our budget. We are kind of outgrowing our space here.”

As her company’s customer base grows, Anne said her No. 1 priority is to retain existing customers as she and her husband work to attract new ones, such as golf courses, wineries and real estate professionals.

“Right now I’m working on more than 100 different designs,” she said, noting that the company’s faster-than-anticipated growth has come via grassroots efforts such as customer referrals and social media marketing.

“We’re trying to push outside the box a little bit,” Anne said. “We are very passionate about what we do. We are hard workers. We want to do the job right.”