An image of a koala clinging to a tree branch that has been etched in the sands of a Victorian beach has garnered international attention.

Key points: The artist known as Edward creates giant images on the beach using no technology, just a rake

The artist known as Edward creates giant images on the beach using no technology, just a rake He says his famous drawing of a koala, which went viral online, was his way of processing emotions in the aftermath of the bushfires

He says his famous drawing of a koala, which went viral online, was his way of processing emotions in the aftermath of the bushfires Photographer Adam Stan is responsible for capturing the famous image, which ended up on Instagram, using drone photography

A photograph of the 120-metre-long artwork near Barwon Heads, south of Geelong, shows a sunset obscured by bushfire smoke and has touched the hearts of many people who have felt helpless about the devastation to wildlife this summer.

The artist, known simply as Edward, said he was inspired to create the work, which has now been seen by more than 110 million people online, by the overwhelming emotions he felt during the fire crisis.

"You could smell the [incredibly] thick smoke … and I went to that beach, near Point Impossible, and the smell and everything just hit my emotional SOS," he said.

"That feeling I connected to. I think most people have that. I can't think of a single person in the country who wouldn't see the strange sunsets in the smoke and not feel for everything living.

"People ended up on the beaches at Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota, but where did the wildlife go?"

The artist and photographer auctioned this image to raise money for Wildlife Victoria, to help animals injured in the bushfires. ( Supplied: Adam Stan Photography )

A volunteer with the Red Cross at King Lake in 2007, Edward said he found himself looking for an explanation about what was happening, and what could be done.

"It just [poses] this question, what would something that has no voice do in that situation? And maybe it connects with the helplessness in most of us," Edward said.

"It's not protest art, it's just emotion.

"It's 'What are we going to do now?'"

The art of freehand

Edward constructed each piece of art below the tide line on secluded beaches, which meant most works lasted only hours before being washed away.

He said each piece took about two hours to complete, and was done without any help from technology — just a small rake.

"I do it usually pre-dawn and just go and stand on the beach and get a feel for it … once the tide recedes, that's the space because I need the dense compaction of the sand," he said.

Edward said his growing understanding of proprioception — a person's perception of where your body is in space — helped him to gain a perspective of the area from above.

"I kind of visualise myself 200 metres above where I am, looking down, and I know over the years I've learnt how to do a wave, or a straight line without cords and ropes. I know what it feels like," he said.

Loading...

'Banksy of Barwon Heads'

Photographer Adam Stan has been instrumental in showcasing Edward's work to the world, having stumbled across the sand art while flying his drone more than three years ago.

"I was flying the drone out at the Barwon Heads river one day, looking for a photo opportunity and stumbled across his work just on daylight," he said.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing on the monitor," he said.

After reaching out to the local community, Mr Stan connected with Edward and has since showcased his work on social media pages.

He said part of the growing intrigue into Edward was the secret of his identity.

"Some people call him the 'Banksy of Barwon Heads'," he said.

"It doesn't matter what he draws, someone will pull a piece out of it and say that means something to me."

Mr Stan said much of Edward's artwork was made for people grieving the loss of a love one or, in this case, the country's grief over the loss of wildlife.

"We auctioned off one of his drawings to raise money for the animals affected by the bushfires. Everything we can do for that is a bonus," he said.

"It's his way of raising a bit more awareness. It has gone a bit crazy over in the States that picture."

'Little drop of hope among all that sadness'

Drone images show the magnitude of each piece. ( Supplied: Edward )

After being posted on the Humans of Melbourne social media page, the image was shared close to 8,000 times with more than 66,000 people reacting to the image.

Founder Chris Cincotta said the reach of the photo was very rare, and showed just how much it resonated with members of the public.

"Someone has gone out of their way to do something very creative and clearly aimed at putting a magnifying glass on the collective plight," he said.

Mr Cincotta said it was a beautiful reaction to a photo that spoke volumes about the bushfire crisis.

"It doesn't happen that often in a community on a large scale," he said.

"We've had a collective consciousness of everybody just hurting, and hurting for the people that went through it."

He said the fact the photo was removed from the political blame game allowed people to grieve.

"There was a big Greens versus Liberal [party] debate, and I think that in those moments when you see [photos like this] you forget about that, and it allows us to come together as a community," he said.

"It's such a little drop of hope among all that sadness, when you look in the background and see all the smoke."