The title of this painting indicates the exact time and place (Bolinas, CA) that Miya Ando was when she observed the clouds on which the painting is based. The Japanese word “unkai” translates into “sea of clouds.” Painted with ink on metal, this work is part of an ongoing series in which Miya Ando articulates the ephemeral, transient experience of watching clouds as they cover and uncover the light of the moon. The painting is not mimetic of a photograph; rather, Ando takes numerous photographs of the changing sky over the course of several seconds and paints a sort of composite image that conveys the transient sense of what she observed. A practicing Buddhist, Ando mobilizes natural phenomena such as clouds and light to express the idea of impermanence. Even though the moon is not visible in this painting, its presence is an essential part of the work. Miya paints these works on metal surfaces as a way of juxtaposing the ephemerality of the subject matter with the durability of metal. Ando also appreciates the ability of the metal surface to reflect light differently under changing conditions.