Every artist’s work evolves over time. This is certainly true of Gallery 621 artist Kathy Oja, who has chosen to highlight how her creative process has changed over time in her new featured exhibition “Unforeseen Consequences,” which is on display through Sept. 3.

The exhibit features various forms of paintings by Oja, but according to the artist, there is no theme. The title is meant to capture the creative procedure in putting a piece of work together.

“My work has been evolving really since the beginning as a painter showing my work,” she said. “People who are familiar with my work and follow it comment on that all the time, how it continues to evolve, not only in the appearance and style but in the techniques I’m using. This show is really just continuing to push that process.”

For instance, Oja had spent many years working in acrylics, but she eventually gravitated to other media like collage. She also has utilized oil-based spray paints and stenciling, but rather than using plastic stencils found at art supply stores, Oja uses stencils out of any material she can find.

“I started out using tissue paper and really lightweight paper, but they obviously don’t last very long,” she said.

Instead, Oja uses anything from corrugated cardboard to styrofoam as stencils. She also uses repurposed materials like sheet metal, pieces of old lace and more.

“If I have a subject matter, whether it’s a flower or a bird, I make my own stencils,” she said.

Oja’s paintings are largely inspired by other cultures— particularly Mexico and Finland— and place a great emphasis on color and shapes.

“I love traveling in Mexico and am very influenced by their warm colors and culture,” she said. “However, my heritage is Finnish, and Finland is a land of green and white. The traditional colors in their ethnic designs are typically the primary colors of blue, red and yellow, which stand out boldly against the green of the summer landscape and the white in winter.”

Oja also will combine different forms, whether acrylic, oil spray and paper; or acrylic, oil spray, paper and graphite.

“It’s really the combination that makes my paintings interesting,” she said. “I generally start out with acrylic painting on the surface, then I build it up— either the whole surface or parts of the surface—with more acrylic, spray painting, acrylic, collage, ink, all sorts of things. Generally, people say my paintings have a lot of depth just because of my process of building up many, many layers.”

Oja said she looks forward to hearing how viewers interpret her paintings rather than her telling them what they are meant to convey.

“Artwork is so subjective and so individual,” she said. “I just love hearing what other people see in my paintings, and so often it’s not even close to what I saw originally.”

It is for this reason that Oja is excited for the reception on Sunday, where poets will deliver their interpretations of Oja’s paintings— in a poetic way, of course.

“They’re bringing all of their individual perspectives and creating their own stories from my paintings,” she said. “I can’t wait to hear those poems.”

Oja also hopes that viewers will find her work “beautiful, interesting and intriguing.”

The reception for “Unforeseen Consequences” will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13 on the patio near Gallery 621, located at 309 First St. Members of the Benicia First Tuesday Poetry Group will read their poems at 4 p.m., and refreshments will be served. The exhibit will be featured through Sunday, Sept. 3. The gallery’s hours are noon to 6 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays. For more information, go to gallery621.com.