The Lobster Lady

Ahoy, it’s me, the Bluffer.

Jamie Hogan in her native White Mountains, photo © Marty Braun

Last summer I hiked up this trail in the White Mountains, thinking of my looming deadline for The Lobster Lady by Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs. It was a challenging time, juggling two book deadlines at once for the first time in my career. This sign spoke to my doubts about my ability to capture the iconic Virginia Oliver, aka the Lobster Lady. When Charlesbridge art director, Kristen Nobles, contacted me about the assignment in early 2022, I was ecstatic about the opportunity to illustrate a picture book biography about the oldest person lobstering in Maine, perhaps in the world. Yesssss! But portraiture is hard, and harder to keep consistent across a whole book. Egads.

I met Virginia at her house in Rockland, Maine in early February. I took a handful of photos as we chatted at her kitchen table. I asked if there were any photos of her as a young person and she flatly replied, “No.”

However, her son, Max, who lobsters with her, found two old photos which I photographed with my phone. I knew this would be a tricky job of inventing scenes and bluffing likenesses, but I was totally down for it!

Virginia Oliver in her kitchen, photo © Jamie Hogan

I dove into research, stopping at the Co-op where they load their bait, watching a fantastic documentary and looking through my Grampy Hogan’s old photo albums. I gathered my early sketches into a dummy.

Dummy book of early sketches for The Lobster Lady, photo © Jamie Hogan

Alexandra’s story begins in the kitchen, with Virginia serving fresh baked donuts before she and Max head out before dawn. Donuts? Yes please. I knew I needed one before starting to draw my final art.

a proper Maine breakfast photo © Jamie Hogan

Here’s the final illustration.

Illustration © Jamie Hogan for The Lobster Lady by Alexandra S.D. Hinrichs

Whenever possible, I like to include real objects for observational drawing to complement working from photos. Here’s my approved sketch for the title page, plus the page with type. I enlarged the drawing in order to transfer it to my sand paper to draw at reproduction size.

My drawing desk is ready, photo © Jamie Hogan

Here’s the work in progress, a view of the house where Virginia was born in 1920. Pastel on red paper.

WIP drawing for The Lobster Lady, photo © Jamie Hogan

There’s a pivotal moment in Alexandra’s story in which Virginia is bitten by a crab. Lo and behold, I have a crab expert in the house! Our daughter, Daisy Braun, has volunteered for the Marine Invader Monitoring and Information Collaborative with the Wells Reserve. I met her at the dock on Peaks Island when she was checking her traps alongside our visiting friend, Ged Kenslea.

Daisy Braun and Ged Kenslea inspect crabs for MIMEC, photo © Jamie Hogan

Daisy surmised what kind of crab that likely nabbed Virginia, perhaps a Jonah crab, very common in Maine waters. In order to visualize this, I enlisted my neighbors, Nicole d’Entremont and Eleanor Morse, to act out the scene. I still crack up at this Oscar level acting:)

Nicole d’Entremont and Eleanor Morse provide reference for The Lobster Lady illustrations, photo © Jamie Hogan

Believe it or not, I found the blue crab toy on the beach. In reality, blue crabs are moving up into Maine waters.

Marty pretended to be Max reacting.

Marty Braun posing for The Lobster Lady illustration reference, photo © Jamie Hogan

Here’s a version of the final illustration. Later I revised it to give Virginia dark green gear which didn’t provide as much contrast to the crab, but hey.

Unrevised illustration by Jamie Hogan for The Lobster Lady

After this adventure, Virginia reflects upon her youth on Andrews Island. The illustrations flash back to another era, when a blacksmith made nails for making lobster traps. Here’s where my documenting comes in handy. We had visited Le Village years ago, a historic Acadian village in Pubnico, Nova Scotia, where the resident smithy demonstrated pounding nails into shape.

Blacksmith, Phillip Clairemont, at Le Village, Pubnico, Nova Scotia photo © Jamie Hogan

It helped me imagine this scene.

Illustration by Jamie Hogan for The Lobster Lady

I borrowed a book of vintage fashion patterns from Nan Hadden, a purveyor of vintage children’s clothing.

Vintage fashion reference thanks to Nan Hadden! photo © Jamie Hogan

The really tricky part was picturing Virginia as a young girl. I saw a resemblance between fellow artist Liz Long and Virginia in the eyes. She sent me a few photos of her as a little girl. What do you think?

Young Liz Long and Virginia Oliver, both keepers! photo © Jamie Hogan

Here is my imagined young Virginia, weighing lobsters in her family’s general store on Andrews Island, Maine.

Illustration for The Lobster Lady © Jamie Hogan

Another scene involved Virginia and her mother playing hide and seek in the laundry. I ran over to my neighbor’s house for a quick photo shoot. Thanks, Meredith!

Meredith Winn, posing for my illustration photo © Jamie Hogan

Here’s the final illustration.

Illustration for The Lobster Lady © Jamie Hogan

Max showed me this photo of a young Virginia hanging clothes on a line.

Virginia Oliver, photo courtesy of Max Oliver

It was reference for this illustration, in which Virginia tells her lobsterman husband that she’s quit her job.

Illustration for the Lobster Lady © Jamie Hogan

A skeptical doctor who stitched Virginia’s finger plays a part in the story. I asked my neighbor, Dr. Chuck Radis, if he would pose for me. An author himself, he happily obliged.

Dr. Chuck Radis, photo © Sandy Radis

Here Virginia glares at him.

Illustration for The Lobster Lady © Jamie Hogan

I did numerous rough sketches for the cover.

cover rough sketch for The Lobster Lady © Jamie Hogan

This was the sketch chosen by Charlesbridge with text placement from the art director, Kristen Nobles.

chosen cover idea for The Lobster Lady © Jamie Hogan

It underwent multiple revisions with the patient guidance of Kristen, who I finally met in person at the Portland Museum of Art last fall. Big hugs for this amazing designer who layered so many elements together.

Jamie meets Kristen Nobles at the Portland Museum of Art in October 2022. photo © Marty Braun

I sent off the last of my revisions for the final art in late October. Several months later, it was a book in my hands! I posed next to a favorite boat on Peaks Island in late March. Dot Flynn was another salty Mainer.

Jamie Hogan, Peaks Island, Maine photo © Marty Braun

I finally had the honor of meeting the author, Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs, in April when we signed books at the Maine Librarians Association’s spring conference in Augusta. She’s having a banner year, with three new books published. Go, Alex!

Illustrator and author of The Lobster Lady meet at Reading Round Up in Augusta, photo courtesy of Alexandra Hinrichs

Publication day, May 23, called for a lobster roll at the local trap to table restaurant, Island Lobster Company.

Lobster roll at the Island Lobster Company, photo © Jamie Hogan

I debuted reading Oh, Chickadee! and The Lobster Lady at the Peaks Island Library to the island school students during their weekly library visit in June.

Jamie reads at the Peaks Island Library, photo © Rose Ann Walsh

And here’s a reading at Minni in Boston, a wonderful art space for young kids!

photo courtesy of Minni

They made the cutest buoy art ever!

buoy art by young artists at Minni, Boston, MA

I’ll be signing books at Color of Peaks on July 7 from 6 to 9 pm at the TEIA on Peaks Island.

A book signing with Virginia is in the works at the Rockland Public Library, on August 4. She is all smiles!

Max Oliver with his mother, Virginia, and author Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs, in Rockland, ME        photo courtesy Alex Hinrichs

Alexandra and I will be doing a book event with Island Readers and Writers on August 17 as well as the Annual Book Fair by the Sea at the Camden Library on August 19.

Many thanks to Virginia and Max Oliver for sharing their story of a life well lived by dedication to their work on the sea. Thanks to Alexandra for her lyrical and illuminating story, and to Charlesbridge Publishing for the honor of illustrating this chronicle of Maine’s iconic lady. Here’s to a sunny summer of salty reading!