After Mitch Lyons created the medium of clay monoprints, he also established a tradition that is itself unique; when creating a new print, rather than starting on a new matrix of fresh clay, the artist designs on top of the remaining clay from previous prints.

The result is a print that not only picks up and displays clay via color and form, using elements of the new design, but also random areas where pieces of previous prints transfer and speak through the imagery.

This somewhat random "look back" at previous works means that the artist never has complete control of a finished work. The tradeoff? "Happy surprises" that enhance an image in ways that the artists would never have been able to plan for and pull off.

In this way, the clay monoprint tradition mimics much of life. We can be well prepared and thoughtful about our next steps in life, and in doing so, improve our chances of success, but unforeseen events will still occur and in some cases, shape our lives in positive ways.

In the monoprint at the top of this essay, my specific design for the piece was solid stripes of color. Anything in the finished print that is not part of that solid color is a remnant from previous works. The past raising its voice yet again.

Making a clay monoprint is a combination of color, form, the planned, and the unplanned. Disruptions, as in this piece and its title, are an essential piece of the art.