There are plenty of woodcarvers on Oahu, thanks to our dense population. "But Hawaii island comes a close second" when it comes to fielding artists handy with chisels and sanders, notes wood artist Marian Yasuda.

A longtime organizer of Hawaii’s Woodshow, Yasuda said entries are nearly tied between Oahu and Hawaii island, followed by Maui.

There are also entrants from Japan and the mainland.

This is the 20th annual such celebration of the carving art, dedicated to publicizing Hawaii’s huge range of wood species. The show is sponsored by the Hawaii Forest Industry Association.

Works must be primarily created of wood from locally grown trees, including macadamia, mango, primavera, koa, kou, pine, eucalyptus, pheasantwood, tamarind, ohia, ironwood, coconut and others.

There are so many types of wood in Hawaii, in fact, that an anonymous private collector has commissioned Big Island woodturner Kelly Dunn to create one piece from each type, and so far there are more than a hundred, all about 6 by 6 inches. Many will be on display at the exhibit.

The biggest piece is a 10-foot shark carved of earpod, "including the base, which is carved from the same tree," said Yasuda. "It’s related to monkeypod, a large tree and fairly common."

The old rule of koa being used only as veneer sheathing is now gone, but you’re still not going to see a lot of this precious wood.

"It’s available and we’re growing enough, but it’s just terribly expensive," said Yasuda.

Although she has noticed an increase in the number of furniture pieces this year, Yasuda said there’s a range of works, from the usual gorgeous bowls to musical instruments to sculptures to "a kind of Asian bell and stand, to wall hangings, to marquetry boxes — and a couple of pig boards, you know, to serve kalua pork on."

One of the pig boards is made of mango and is courtesy of 20-year-old Tyler Hare of Mountain View. He’s joined by brother Alex, 28, who made a pheasantwood box, and father Scott, who’s bringing a couple of milo bowls. This might be the first time three woodworkers in one family have all been accepted into the show.

A few years ago Scott Hare made a spectacular chrysanthemum bowl of koa as a state gift to the emperor of Japan.

"We work with all the local woods," said the fourth Hare, wife and mother Tandy. "Milo, sandalwood, monkeypod, koa … we have so many woodcarvers on the Big Island because, you know, this is where the trees are."