A mural of Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Hawaiian garb with flames around him which popped up on an inner Sydney wall has been painted over just three days after it appeared.

Artist Scott Marsh on Tuesday posted a photo of the Chippendale artwork – with Mr Morrison saying “Merry Crisis!!” via a speech bubble – on Instagram.

Morrison was depicted in the mural wearing an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, orange lei and Santa Claus hat while holding a cocktail.

In the background, red and black flames rise high.

It follows the prime minister’s decision last weekend to cut an overseas family holiday in the US state short to respond to the bushfire crisis.

“Heading out to Hawaii when the country is literally on fire is probably not a really great move in terms of leadership. I think public sentiment around that is all pretty unified,” Marsh said on Tuesday.

Marsh said he finished the mural on Tuesday afternoon, and on Friday a video was posted to his Facebook page showing the mural being painted over, returning the patch of wall to grey.

“There’s always the risk that someone’s gonna take offence and paint over it, it’s a shame that it did because I think a lot of people were enjoying it,” Marsh said on Friday.

Shirt and print editions of the mural were released for sale with all profits to go to the RFS, he announced on Facebook on Tuesday.

So far more than $15,000 has been raised which can be distributed to fireys, Marsh said.

The response to the mural had been all positive, he said. Some people had even used the space next to it to write comments expressing similar sentiments.

“They’re like, it’s true, it pretty much perfectly illustrates what’s happened and the frustrations of a lot of people,” Marsh said.

A woman writes a comment on a mural by artist Scott Marsh depicting Prime Minister Scott Morrison on holiday in Hawaii. “They’re like, it’s true, it pretty much perfectly illustrates what’s happened and the frustrations of a lot of people,” Marsh said. Photograph: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

He believes Morrison may be happy the mural has been painted over.

“I don’t think he would have loved it,” he said.

“A lot of the murals get attacked and it actually ends up amplifying the message anyway because a lot more people heard about it,” Marsh said.

“But also they have an online and digital life as much as they do a physical life.”

“In terms of this mural it’s already done some pretty special stuff in terms of the money that’s been raised so I can’t be too disappointed with that.”

Morrison returned to work last Sunday, admitting he may have erred in going on holiday.

The prime minister said to the Australians he had upset by being away during the latest bushfire emergency: “I apologise for that.”

Lives have been lost and hundreds of homes destroyed this fire season in NSW, South Australia and Queensland.