"I was just constantly interrupted while I was painting," Toth said.

"And I loved it. People were just commenting and asking questions and telling me their own amazing stories about John.

"Even people that I didn't suspect, a lot of the homeless community that were walking past were going 'That's John' and one man said 'Listen, I'm homeless, but John knew me by name'."

John Hanna was a proud Canberran and popular men's fashion retailer who kept our men looking sharp for more than 40 years. His iconic Bunda Street store closed in July, with John succumbing to cancer in late September after a six-month battle.

The stunning tribute to John was painted on a curved window on the ground floor of Bible House in Garema Place. The artwork was commissioned by In the City Canberra, who gave Toth "free reign".

A former client of John's - with two suits, a handful of ties and a precious pocket square he bought from the Bunda Street store still hanging in his wardrobe - Toth wanted to paint something that would "send a message to the community".

"Then I saw the article in The Canberra Times about John and I just thought 'That's it'," he said.

"It was important to me that I capture his energy and his personality, and not only that but I wanted more people to know about him.

"I wanted to educate people on who he was, he was part of the community for so long - nearly four decades - and this way he'll live on a bit longer.

"It's something very special for me as an artist. You're always a bit apprehensive as to how it's going to be received but to see the way people are reacting to it is phenomenal - they're stumped, they're really amazed."

John's wife Diana was tearful when she turned the corner into Garema Place on Wednesday morning and saw her late husband's face smiling back at her.

"I was standing there beside him thinking 'Keep it together girl, keep it together'," Diana said.

"I think Christopher has captured the essence of the person - I love the eyes, his hair.

"The colours are very bright but he was a rather bright personality wasn't he? I think that's part of who he is."

John would be "chuffed" with the portrait if he could see it, she said, describing the vibrant artwork as "a great honour and tribute".

"He was very involved in the city area - always involved and very interested - and he loved Canberra, he loved living here," Diana said.

"It's just a pity he doesn't know about it, he would be very happy."

The mural will remain at the bottom of Bible House until December.