BALLYVAUGHAN, Ireland - Sometimes, when the sun sets, lighting the hills in the Burren on fire, Richard Hearns puts his paintbrush down and allows himself to wonder: What if?

What if Sister Patrick didn't persevere?

What if Irish Army Commandant Frank Hearns didn't listen to Sister Patrick?

What if he never left Beirut?

Richard Hearns, at 36, is one of Ireland's premier contemporary artists. His studio, here in one of the most picturesque regions in the west of Ireland, has become a tourist destination. But as rich and as colorful as his work is, his life story rivals his vibrant art.