Brian John Travers-Smith

Travers-Smith, Brian John – June 26, 1931 – March 20, 2026

On Friday, March 20, 2026 at the Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria, British Columbia, after a brief illness, aged 94 years.

Born in Tangshan, Hebei, China, Brian lived in and around the city of Tianjin and seaside community of Beidaihe. During this time, he was introduced to watercolour art by his uncle Peter who gifted Brian a paint set after noticing Brian’s interest in his own work. He also went on ornithological study trips with Danish researcher Axel M. Hemmingsen, collecting and documenting birds in Northern China. After World War II he moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1946 to briefly attend Brentwood School. The extensive bird collection he brought with him from China was destroyed in the school fire in 1947. In 1948 he moved to Toronto, Ontario to attend the Ontario College of Art, where he met his future wife Barbara Grange, but left a year later to find work both in Canada and the United States. While in the U.S. he was enlisted during the Korean conflict and worked stateside as a high speed morse radio operator and official army photographer. After his U.S. Army service he attended the Boston College of Art to hone his artistic skills. He spent additional time in the United States pursuing various occupations before his marriage to Barbara in 1956 in Toronto, Canada. For a brief time, Brian and Barbara returned to the United States before eventually moving to Victoria, BC to settle where he attended Victoria College to study business. He continued to follow his love of watercolour as his business career developed and eventually opened an art studio in downtown Victoria where he painted evenings and weekends, conducted art classes for aspiring students, and held an annual show of his work. He served on the Board of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria from 1963 to 1970 and was President of the gallery from 1969-1970. In 1973 he left his job as a trust officer at Canada Trust to pursue a full-time career painting watercolour. In 1975 he built an art gallery attached to the family home in Oak Bay where he painted and held his popular annual art show until 1983 when he retired from painting due to declining eye sight. In addition to his service with the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, he served on the board of the Emily Carr College of Art and Design, the Victoria Symphony, and the Northwest Watercolor Society. He exhibited his work with the Allied Artists of America, the American Watercolour Society, the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, and was an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and the Canadian Society of Marine Artists. Over the years he donated his art for fundraising efforts in support of numerous organizations including Oak Bay Secondary School, the Emily Carr Arts Centre, and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Some of his awards and honors include: The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, and in 1983, being named an honorary citizen of the City of Victoria. His works have been presented to various dignitaries and organisations: His painting “A Taste of Salt” was presented to HM Queen Elizabeth II and is part of the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. Other paintings were presented to: former Governor General of Canada, George Vanier; former Prime Minister of Canada, John Diefenbaker; former Lord Mayor of London, England, Sir Ralph Perring; the City of Victoria; the Province of British Columbia, among others. Throughout his life he had a keen interest in gardening and the gardens in each of his homes reflected his artistic spirit, balancing and mixing the colours of plants and the seasonal variations such that any season one could enjoy a peaceful natural balance surrounding the home. He is survived by his wife Barbara, children Diana, David, and Edward, 5 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

• In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria; support of their programs is always welcome.
  • https://aggv.ca/                https://aggv.ca/support/donate/
• 
  
•