The masterful paintings of Eileen David are recognized for conveying the vibrant atmosphere of San Francisco through dynamic, heightened colors. In her images of residential neighborhoods, quiet street scenes, and solitary figures swimming in the Bay, David’s works evoke the buoyant sensations, rhythms, and colors around her. In all cases, David hones in on the surprising plays of light and shadow, drawing on the multiplicity of shapes and colors that she finds in the landscape. With her painting studio located at an old naval shipyard on the San Francisco Bay, David is immersed in the underlying geometries and idiosyncrasies of the city that she loves. In particular, David’s work calls attention to the atypical terrain upon which the city was built: “As I look out, you’re not just looking across, you’re looking up,” David remarks. As a result, her images train the eye of the viewer on the vibrantly colorful San Francisco hillsides, dotted with winding tiers of foliage and architecture. Also of note are David’s paintings of figures swimming in the San Francisco Bay. In these works, the human figure acts as a symbol of active force exerting itself against its surroundings, all the while the water refracts the body into abstract fragments of color. These fascinating images were inspired by David’s own experience swimming in the Bay, and as a result they express a near-somatic experience of water and transcendent moments of solitude. “I have a feeling of well-being when I swim,” David says. “It’s thrilling—it’s a wilderness experience in the city.” Born in New York City, Eileen David studied at The Arts Student League of New York, SUNY Purchase, New York, the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at San Francisco State University and a Master of Fine Arts at San Jose State University. Over her career, David has been awarded with various honors including a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant and a Catherine Urban Scholarship.