JOAN Griffin kicked off the summer season with a three artist show, Sensations of Light, at her Courtyard Gallery in Monkstown, which just celebrated its first birthday. Bright paintings by Stella Mahon and watercolours on silk by Mary Pickering as well as glass furniture and tableware by Salah Kawala were much admired by guests including the Lord Mayor, Sean Dublin Bay Rockall Loftus.
One of Kawala's most popular works, a large coloured glass platter with Newgrange motifs entitled Celtic Charger caught many an eye. Aer Lingus commissioned 54 of them just before Christmas, as presents for the Young Scientist competition judges. It took three weeks of 24 hour days to fill the order, but fill it he did. Another proud Charger owner is Ruairi Quinn, who was given one by Guardian Direct. Corporate gift giving has obviously reached new heights.