If you'd asked miner and builder, Lionel Knott, a few years ago if he'd ever imagined holding his own art exhibition,
he would have laughed. But tonight it will be his reality when his exhibition Charcart opens at the Mackay Town Hall.
A self-taught artist, Lionel picked up his first piece of charcoal while travelling through Scotland and instantly fell in love
with the medium. He was felt compelled to draw people's faces because he says that our lives and experiences are
reflected in the faces we show to the world.

Lionel said its the charcoal's properties that enable him to capture the essence of those he draws by offering
the ability to layer and add depth to their features, bringing out the real true character. He said people are
sometimes surprised when they see the final product because they often see something in their portrait they didn't
know was a part of them.

The secret of these charcoal portraits, says Lionel, is to capture the person's spirit in their eyes and this is
the part he does first. He says if he can't get the eyes right, the whole portrait won't be right.

For Lionel the added bonus of being able to draw these characters is to hear the stories which form their life and he
credits that as his main source of inspiration when he's drawing.

His collection on show embraces Aussie local heroes and in amongst the collection are notables such as Slim Dusty
and R.M. Williams as well as miners, aboriginal elders and environmental activists.

Lionel says his mates at the mines are very supportive of his work and its been their encouragement that's
seen him take time out to focus on art full time. And while he doesn't fit the normal artist stereotype, he's
determined to forge out his own individual style of depicting the true essence of a person in portraits.