With its brightly coloured houses and buildings, Scottish Gaelic Tobar Mhoire is the home to whisky, Balamory, Highland games and wildlife excursions. Arguably one of Terry Harrison’s more bright and colourful paintings Tobermory's vibrant houses are reflected in the rippling water as the boats bob gently in the harbour.
Tobermory is the capital of, and the only burgh on, the Isle of Mull in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It is located in the northeastern part of the island, near the northern entrance of the Sound of Mull. Legend has it that the wreck of a Spanish galleon, laden with gold, lies somewhere in the mud at the bottom of Tobermory Bay – although the ship’s true identity, and cargo, are in dispute.
By some accounts, the Florencia is a member of the defeated Spanish Armada. Fleeing the English fleet in 1588, it anchored in Tobermory to take on provisions. Following a dispute over payment, the ship caught fire and the gunpowder magazine exploded, sinking the vessel. In her hold, reputedly, was £300,000 in gold bullion, however no significant treasure has ever been recovered in Tobermory Bay.
As with all Gibsons Jigsaw Puzzle, the beautifully illustrated pieces are made from the highest quality 100% recycled board and are therefore a pleasure to work with again and again.
Terry Harrison was born near Wendover and attended Farnham Art School before becoming a graphic artist in London. Later, he joined the Yellow Pages as an illustrator and then Thompson Directories in their Farnborough head office. During his spare time, Terry pursued his first love: landscape painting.
By 1984 the demand for his original work was so great that he decided to paint full time and never looked back! After just 12 short years Terry was awarded the Best Up and Coming Published Artist of The Year by the Fine Art Trade Guild, and five years later in 2001, Terry had his first book ‘Brush with Watercolour’ published; this sold over 140000 copies..
Terry Harrison sadly passed away in June 2017 and will be remembered as the kind, thoughtful man who created wonderful pieces of art, many of which have been in our jigsaw puzzle range for almost two decades. He will be greatly remembered and we hope that his artwork continues to bring joy to all who have the privilege of viewing his paintings.