PRESS PRESENTS
ARTISTS
Current Artist: Russell Lumb
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 27th; 6-8PM
On view through April 20th
russelllumbartist.com
“I am a retired architect from the North of England where I spent the past twelve years studying art and developing my drawing, painting, and printmaking skills. I relocated, with my wife Susan, to Iowa in October 2023 and we are now settled in a new home and studio in Longfellow, Iowa City. Our elder son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren live in Iowa City.
My work is predominately concerned with the human figure, and particularly, the head. I have made hundreds of life session drawings and paintings over those years and a good number of commissioned portraits. I still enjoy drawing with charcoal and graphite pencils, but my evolved preference is for acrylic painting without preparatory drawing, where a rapidly painted base is edited to gradually establish likeness and mood. The former is paramount in commissioned work, but life session portraits will often morph into literary characters or become part of narrative paintings. At this point, the sitter is no longer involved, liberties may be taken, and the narrative drives the decisions.
Further manipulation of these images is also undertaken in the making of drypoint etchings. The painting is photographed, resized, tonally reduced, and reversed to facilitate an acetate “plate” with the image inscribed using hardened steel tools. The finished plate is inked, wiped to establish the desired amount of surface ink beyond the incised image, if any, and printed onto damp paper through a roller press. Each print is inked and wiped differently, including multiple colours, to produce unique images.
My work has no reason or meaning beyond the making of interesting images for my own satisfaction and for others to enjoy at face value. No one need feel obliged to “understand” the work.”
Russell Lumb, March 2025
If you are an artist looking for wall space to share your work with the community, consider Press Coffee! Keep in mind we are a coffee shop first, but when 62% of Americans drink coffee every day, our space exposes your work to a wide range of people. A show typically lasts five weeks with an evening set aside for a reception, catered by us with coffee and treats, to allow a closer look and conversation.
If you are interested in partnering with us artistically, please fill out this form to receive more information.
Past Artists
From July of 2018 until the COVID-19 takeover of 2020, we opened our Coralville location to a range of local artists with mediums such as drawing, painting, photography, quilting, metalwork, and more. Learn more about each of our past artists below.
Wesley Mills – ceramics and watercolor paintings
Naaron Cardona – painting/collage
Sara Slee Brown – digital collage on canvas
Sweet Julie Marie – Watercolor/Pen&Ink/Multimedia Collage
Dana Noble – Botanical Illustration
Elinor Krieger – Painting
Sandra Cedrins – Watercolor
Nicki Maurus – Jewelry
Patti Zwick – Quilting
Meagan Wolgast – Cross Stitch
Yuchen Liu & Family – Ink Drawings
Vera Renguelova – Encaustic
Shelly Berkowitz – Painting/Graphic Design
Karla Janette – Photography
Jordan Jasa – 35mm Film Photography & Poloroid
Nicki Maurus – Jewelry
Patti Zwick – Quilting
Candice Broersma – Illustration/Scratchboard
Erin McCain – Illustration
Rip Russell – Paint Pouring
Connie Sherman – Paper Marbling
Paula Grady – Painting
Danforth Johnson – Photography
Ford Studio – Photography/Pyrography/Drawing
Patti Zwick – Quilting
Ariane Parkes-Perret – Printmaking
Lori Fowler – Encaustic Painting
Cara Delaney – Quilting
Lexys Sillin – Painting
Julia Wolfe – Painting/Illustration
Nancy Lincoln – Painting
Cheryl Hetherington – Fluid Acrylics
Tana Blazek – Painting
Jenny Gringer – Lincocut
Bekah Ash – Painting
At our old location:
Angela Otts – Painting & Illustration
Nicki Maurus – Jewelry
Bobbie Gravitt – Photography
Rachel Elisabeth Brecht – Painting
Lauren Schuchard – Drawings
Don Hetzel – Painting
Jen Madigan – Photography
Cara Briggs Farmer – Metalworks
Justin Tedford – Photography
Jezza Rose Studios – Oil Painting
Patti Zwick – Quilting
Kacie Eckermann – Photography
Howard Hinton Jr. – Photography
Stephanie Johnson – Photography
Stacie Woodside – Photography
Diana Brayton – Alcohol Ink
Danforth Johnson – Photography
Julia Wolfe – Painting
