But like Jefferson, West sees her dwelling as existing in a state of perpetual change. She considers her home an artistic medium for the expressionism that defines her worldview. A woman who has found a niche in the untamed temporal, West appreciates surprises, especially from nature.

Anyone attending her art show scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday is in for a surprise: This show takes in the entire 100-acre canvas overlooking the New River and bordering Sinking Creek.

West and her companion, Chris Munger, have invited 400 guests, but they hope even more people attend their Open Studio, Open House, Open Garden, Open Gallery and Open Walking Trails.

At the end of Croft Road and a stone's throw from U.S. 460 in Giles County, "Suspect Terrain" is what West named the first place she ever considered home. She said this geological phrase defining unsettled land lacking in bedrock represents the ferment she feels toward life.

This daughter of a military officer traveled much of the country in her childhood but acquired an appreciation for a permanent, yet changing dwelling place. "This is the painting I get to keep," West said as she gestured across the open fields dotted with objects

acquired at flea markets and yard sales.

Most of her art reflects this same sense of whimsey. West's work, however, hasn't always reflected such gaiety.

In October 1999, one of her identical twin daughters, Tyree, died of stomach cancer. She was only 26.

"I did a whole lot of paintings of death and dying," West said.

She was questioning herself, wondering how she might have prevented the cancer. Answers were scarce. Eventually, Tyree's death worked West's expressionism toward a new medium.

She no longer paints and carves wood sculptures, although her "dead sculptures" have found homes in the forested areas of their property.

Her older works, many of them sculptures and three-dimensional wall-hangings, carry adult themes, while others uncover the darker side of human nature. Some of the content is explicit and may not be suitable for everyone.

But her latest paintings portray life's temporary diversions.

"I remembered how much Tyree loved glitter and was a glittery person," she said. "There's a whole lot of good painters around, so I needed a signature."

She began using a mixture of paint and glitter on canvas and found the accompanying dynamic a challenge and an embodiment of her own life in dealing with her daughter's death. The pain certainly persists. West only speaks of it in terms of explaining her new medium.

"Glitter paintings change as you move," West said. "I'm trying to find a way to sell that and not have it as a disadvantage."

Gazing at West's impressionistic landscapes of familiar local landmarks, one is hard-pressed to see disadvantages through the glitter that adds a sense of originality to her paintings.

"Little Stony" represents the trail to the Cascades in a way van Gogh's impressionism may have defined its beauty.

A whimsical expressive painting titled "Too Late to Save Grandma" depicts a large, imposing wolf taking delight in an appetite extinguished.

Another light-hearted theme, "Pony Ride," with its bright, bold colors, offers a glimpse of the Dublin Fair through a child's eye.

West, who is attempting to market her work more aggressively, said this is her first attempt at her own show. In the early days she was too busy learning the craft to worry about marketing. Mostly self-taught, West tried a few university night classes before turning to Ray Cass at Mountain Lake.

"That was my real education," she said. "I could dash up and spend the day with world-renowned artists."

Once the house and her paintings were under way, West pursued landscape architecture by working with a friend to learn cutting-edge, organic gardening.

The result is a number of landscaped gardens filled with rocks brought in from all over the world. Gathered from places such as Bali and Greece or hauled in from Sinking Creek, the stones and boulders have become rock sculptures in the gardens that surround the house and provide an overlook for the majestic, layered cliffs that backdrop her New River view.

Some of the green stones West picked up in Bali have become her living room floor, the third such floor in that very room.

But that's West's approach to life.

With her constant pursuit of "a sharpening vision," West finds satisfaction in the quest.

Those interested in attending West's show can request directions via e-mail: patwest@pemtel.net.