It's been an institution and a tourist favourite for almost 50 years. So, when it was announced last month that the roadside treasure had survived the bushfire devastation of Clyde Mountain, it was a welcome piece of good news. It was also the day that Canberra artist Mick Ashley sat down to draw his own thank you to the firefighters.

"I decided to change an image I had already done into more of a thank you to everyone who is trying to put the fires out, and helping out - and it's still going. We have to remind ourselves that it's still on," Ashley says.

"For me it's a case of giving a tribute to those who have either lost something or are in the thick of it, and to try and strike that balance was always going to be tricky.

"It's shrouded in tragedy, of course, and you didn't want it to be cheesy either. It was a case that sometimes you just get one of those things that appeal to everybody and really, it's been quite an emotional journey for a lot of people. I've received heaps of responses and they've touched me pretty deeply, I must say."

Since posting the image on his Instagram - and on his website for purchase - less than a week ago, the image has had more than half-a-million views. Ashley has also raised $6000 for charity from selling the artwork and has already had to make four print runs.

"You can't really plan for it and that's the other thing - it's just a reactionary response and I was playing to my strengths as an artist," he says.

"I wanted to contribute somehow and it's been awesome. We're trying to raise money in areas that need it but it's gone even beyond Kings Highway.

"People have asked me to do versions of it with a koala so that it represents the unofficial symbol of the bushfires and the animals, so that's something I will be working on.

"There are also t-shirts that some people want so they can have it as part of the time they were there."