4:40p.m. 12th July 2007

| By Mark Chapman

Jason Swain at work on the portrait of Steve Irwin

In September 2006, many Australians abroad watched the news from afar that one of their favourite sons, Steve Irwin, had passed away.

Jason Swain, a Sunshine Coast ex-pat living in Washington DC, was one of them.

In February 2007, he came home to present a heartfelt and moving gift to the Irwin family at Australia Zoo: a portrait of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin.

Jason said "As a local living abroad I wanted to pay tribute to Steve and being an artist, decided to paint a mural on the side of my truck. I felt the need to do more and embarked on a project that would lead to one of those once in a lifetime moments."

To watch the progress of Jason working on the painting through to the presentation at the Zoo, watch the video on Youtube.

For more information on Jason and his work, visit his website.