The paintings of Brien Vahey, which went on view in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre this week, brought the weather into the Solomon Gallery.
"You can picture yourself being there and your breath coming out," said Paul Warren from Naas, Co Kildare, as he studied February Garden. "It gives a great sense of the coldness of a frosty morning," he said.
Anne Monaghan, who attended Dún Laoghaire Art College with Brien Vahey, said she loved "the freshness of his work and the colours. It's really heartfelt".
Guests to the opening included Josie McWeaney and her daughter, Siobhán (16) from Rathfarnham, Frank Roden, brother of the late Brigid Roden, the CEO of Business2Arts, who died last September, composer Shaun Davey and Niall Mathews, executive producer of Fair City.
Doug Ross, an artist from Bray, Co Wicklow, and his wife, Gay Ross; Olive Braiden, chairwoman of the Arts Council, and scientist Ena Prosser all attended the exhibition.
Vahey's wife, Gráinne Cuffe, who is also an artist, linked up with her sister and fellow artist, Siobhán Cuffe.
They were later joined by their brother Ciarán Cuffe TD. Dr Pat Wallace, director of the National Museum of Ireland, and Siobhán's husband, became the proud owner of a painting of a vegetable garden, which was reprinted on the cover of the catalogue.
"I love the stories that go with the paintings," said broadcaster Mary Kennedy, when she officially opened the show, pointing to the tiny figure in one painting in a stripy swimsuit. "She was a little girl in Roundstone who came up and said: 'Can I be in your picture, mister'."
Brien Vahey's exhibition is at the Solomon Gallery until Wednesday, February 18th