YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife artist is one of two Canadians helping create an air-brush tribute to American soldiers in Iraq.

The "flag" as it's being called has been to Denmark, all over the United States and to one other Canadian shop.

It's a tribute that will be sent to American troops fighting in Iraq, after which it will go to the Virginia War Museum and be immortalized under glass.

"It's a pretty good feeling that the best-of-the-best chose (me)," Brown said.

Originally only American airbrush artists were going to contribute, Brown said. But the community of airbrush artists was small enough that one of his friends in the United States recommended him to add his signature.

"Out of the 415 shops in Canada they chose me," he said.

"I really enjoyed seeing the other artists' works."

Brown doesn't see his contribution as being just for the American troops he said he feels that his adding to the piece is also a way for him to show support to Canadian troops fighting in Afghanistan.

Used to working on metal, Brown said it was a bit of a challenge to do his work on canvas. It took him five hours to complete his part of the work.

"I've never painted on a canvas like that before. The canvas just soaked the paint right up."

He said it took him a couple of days to come up with the design, an image of a soldier combined with his trademark bear paw.

Brown has created works on motorcycles, cars and helmets. He was also one of the artists commissioned to work on one of the giant fibreglass raven sculptures installed around Yellowknife. The most unusual airbrush work he has done was on a paintball gun.

He said the canvas tribute to soldiers in Iraq was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I'm proud to be associated with it, and I can't wait to see it finished."