Artists of all mediums know that a work of art doesn’t always pool from a constant flow of ideas. For Conway artist Bill Brayton, it took nearly 20 years and unprecedented storm conditions for one project to finally surface.

Brayton, a 1976 graduate of Northfield Mount Hermon school, reconnected with his alma mater in October to exhibit “Torrent,” an extension of an 18-year-old water-themed sculpture project rejuvenated by devastating flooding events in Conway this July. The wooden wall-mounted pieces, paired with abstract drawings that mirror the sculptures’ curvature, is a tribute to “the force of water,” according to a statement from Maureen Turner, associate director of marketing and communications at NMH. The gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., as well as on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m., until Nov. 17.

“Torrent” expands on the sculptural methods Brayton first employed when creating “Rogue Wave,” a work he completed in 2005 that features pieces of curved wood and a welded wire sphere. He explained that inspiration flooded back when Conway was deluged with nearly 21 inches of rain in July. The devastating rains resulted in not only an estimated $3.9 million in damages, but Brayton’s son being trapped on his way home due to a culvert overflowing.

“It was a kind of visceral experience of the power of nature, climate change and water and how it was affecting us in our little town,” he said.

The new project “comprises both sculptures and drawing and builds on his fascination with rogue waves, a phenomenon that until recent decades was thought to be the stuff of folklore,” Turner wrote.

“Though they remain mysterious, rogue waves are now acknowledged by scientists as waves which are greater than twice the size of surrounding waves, often sweeping in unexpectedly from directions in opposition to prevailing wind and waves,” she continued.

The sculptures in “Torrent” are composed of woods of “different ages, colors, textures, grain patterns, surfaces and histories,” Brayton wrote in an artist’s statement. He later explained that he sources his wood from a wide variety of places, from a friend’s “wood museum” and Roberts Brothers Lumber Company in Ashfield, to trees that had fallen on his property and sentimental structures, such as a former home and an old boat he’d been renovating.

“Starting with some self-imposed limits, parts made from wood, aluminum, bronze, concrete, and plastic are added, cut out, repositioned or abandoned,” Brayton wrote in the artist’s statement. “As a sculpture comes together, chance opportunities collide with the memory of previous decisions. Gravity affects perceived mass and balance. Disrupted patterns can imply motion. Where parts cross; screws, rivets, bolts, and welds create connections in distinct ways.”

Brayton said he embraces abstraction partially because he isn’t necessarily setting out to tell a specific story or directly respond to world events. He admitted, however, that “it’s pretty hard not to do that.”

“I’m really trying to find an emotional response to my work,” he said. “That’s really the most important thing to me, trying to feel something in my gut.”

Gallery Director Jamie Rourke, who is a former student of Brayton’s, praised the “calm sense of balance, motion and fluidity” the sculptor’s project achieves.

“I think there’s a really beautiful sensitivity to his materials that feels very Zen to me,” he expressed.

Rourke said a large crowd of NMH staff and students, as well as around a dozen other local artists, attended the exhibit’s reception the evening of Oct. 20. Brayton, whose work has been featured in Sculpture Magazine, Art New England, The Seattle Times, The Boston Globe, and exhibited at galleries and colleges around the country, said showing his art at NMH is a “full-circle moment.” Rourke said Brayton’s juxtaposition of drawing and sculpture has been particularly valuable to his students as they explore the relationship between the two mediums.

“Bill’s creative and educational work continue to be inspiring,” Rourke contributed to Turner’s statement. “I was fortunate to be taught by him decades ago, and his encouragement and support changed the trajectory of my creative life ... It has been special for me to reconnect with Bill through this exhibition.”

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.