WALDOBORO — A group show of original linoleum block prints will be on exhibition at the Waldoboro Public Library through March 30.

The group members, led by illustrator and printmaker Holly Berry, meet weekly in Waldoboro village to make linoleum block prints. Along with Berry, members with artwork on display include Emily Davis of Hope, Lyn Steeves and Dianne Morgan of Harpswell, Anne Spencer of Bath and Leslie Moore of Belfast.

From all walks of life, the artists share a love of looking at, learning about and creating block prints. Anne Spencer says in a news release "I find the process exciting, challenging and full of the unexpected. Time flies by when I am lost in the process of discovery as the image in my mind takes shape."

Linoleum block printing is a form of relief printing, the oldest and most direct method for making an impression on paper. The linoleum material, made specifically for printmaking, has a flat smooth surface and is a hardened mixture of cork and linseed oil. Each artist in the exhibit cut, with knives and gouges, an original design into the surface of a linoleum block. The areas cut away are in "relief" and do not print, the uncut areas hold the design for the final print. To make a print, ink is rolled onto the resulting raised surface of the block, paper is placed on top and the ink is transferred by running the block and print through a printing press or rubbing the back of the paper with a wooden spoon. Multiple prints can be made from a single block and each print is made by hand making them multiple originals, not reproductions.

Lyn Steeves says "The linocut process contains an element of surprise; your finished print may be interesting and attractive even when it's not exactly what you imagined."

Leslie Moore adds "Making a relief print is just the opposite of making a pen-and-ink drawing. In printmaking, I carve out what I don't want in the final image; in a drawing, I ink in what I do want. I love the mental gymnastics this reversal of mark-making sets off in my brain."

"Learning to do linoleum block printing with quality in mind has been one of the hardest and most satisfying things I have attempted." says Emily Davis.

Berry, of Waldoboro, has been making and exhibiting linocuts for over 30 years. She is a member of the Boston Printmakers and has received an Individual Artists Fellowship Award from the Maine Arts Commission for her work in Printmaking.

The Waldoboro Public Library, 958 Main Street, is open noon-7 p.m., Monday and Thursday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. -1 p.m., Saturday and closed on Sunday and Monday.