Diana Kwan has been woodcarving since 1975 and has come to specialize in two styles. Relief and Chip (Or Incise) are quite different in design, as well as in their execution. She is influenced by cultures from all over the world.

In Relief carving she uses gouges, chisels and other tools to carve away extraneous wood and then shapes and contours the design to achieve perspective.

Chip carving involves the precise cutting into the wood to create a design. Light and shadow are utilized to enhance the overall effect. In her decorative pieces, she usually uses basswood and a one-knife technique. If harder wood is involved, additional tools are used.

She has worked with many types of wood, including butternut, mahogany, walnut, oak, cherry, poplar, and others. Kwan may leave the natural coloration of the wood or paint her work using acrylics. A finish is applied to protect the wood.

Over the years, Kwan has been in many competitions, winning numerous blue ribbons, as well as best-of-shows. Articles about her work have been featured in The Sacramento Bee and well-known woodcarving publications. She has shown her work in major exhibitions in Los Angeles, Sausalito, San Francisco and at the Sacramento Art Festivals and has contributed her artwork to the KVIE Art Auction, a PBS affiliate, since 1987. In 1991, she was nominated for the YWCA’s Woman of the Year award in art.

She has participated in many commissioned projects, including carving furniture, mantels, balusters, newels, finials, panels, bed boards and posts, bookshelves and frames. She is particularly proud to have participated in the renovation of the Senate Hearing Room at the California State Capitol where she carved the chairs and tables used by the senators. She was also called upon to carve panels for a desk made especially for the legislature.