In lithography, the artist draws on a smooth slab of limestone with a grease crayon. Then the stone is moistened with water and an oil-based ink is rolled on. The ink is repelled by the water-treated portions of the stone and adheres only to the greasy drawn lines. A piece of paper is placed on the stone and printed under pressure in a press. When the paper is pulled off the stone, it has a reverse image of the original drawing printed on it.
Every print is an original in multiple form.
The Grant Wood subjects were printed in editions of 250, all of them signed by the artist. The efforts of Jan and Tom Lovell, chairpersons of the Books and Beyond campaign, helped to bring the gift to the library. Following a meeting of library trustees in which the group discussed showcasing Clear Lake's famous sons and daughters, Jan Lovell asked her mother, Marcia Connell, about Park Rinard. Eventually Mary Kruse, a friend of the Rinard's from Clear Lake, contacted the couple to see if they had letters or other historical pieces from Grant Wood which could be displayed in the library. Rinard spent much of his life in the Clear Lake and Mason City area.