PORTLAND, Maine — It's hard to imagine the bucket full of lobster shells at the center of the table could find a place anywhere other than the waste bin, but one woman in Wells resurrects the remnants to create Lobsterman.
Gail McDermott started designing with the lobster leftovers at the beginning of the summer after quitting her job. A friend who is a lobsterman encouraged her to make it.
They have sold in Maine and as far away as Wisconsin. It goes for $20 on Facebook Marketplace. McDermott didn't disclose all the details on how she creates the crustacean art but did give a basic idea of how it works.
"Of course you have to eat them," laughed McDermott, "and you have to shuck them without cutting or breaking them. Then you have to clean them with some soap and a little bleach. I won't tell you exactly how I make them, then I shellac them, then I add the little tea lights then I decorate them all different ways.
McDermott says no two are alike.