Fresh and hot off the press: ‘Ōde to Orcas Island’

— from Ayn Gailey —

Ōde is a glimpse of life, art, and the power of place on remote Orcas Island as seen through the heart and eyes of a team of photographers and award-winning writers with island ties. The coffee table book, produced by Sara Farish and Ayn Gailey, took over a year to create and was conceived as a love letter to the island, a keepsake, and a time capsule of this moment in time.

How many islanders were involved in the making of Ōde volume one?

Eight island writers, eight island photographers, eight island artists, several Orcas Island models, and even more islanders helped with proofing, props, photo locations, and more.

Any non-islanders contribute to the book? 
 
Yes. Elizabeth Austen, the former State Poet Laureate, shared a poem that was written on the ferry, upon leaving Orcas Island. The photographer, Peter Lin Carrillo (Ayn Gailey’s brother), was the first photographer to shoot anything, including the spread in Sara’s Garden on repurposed clothing, a spread with Flora Lister, and one with Michell Marshall, founder of Woman in The Woods. Sketchbook artist Robin Carlson also created some beautiful sketches of Mountain Lake and the Coho Preserve. We thought it was essential to have a couple of photographers and writers who don’t necessarily live on island but have a strong connection to it. Their point of view is different but as meaningful in other ways.

Biggest challenge? 
 
Besides having to leave Thanksgiving dinner early to hop on the 7:50 p.m. ferry to drive to Vancouver for a press check at 6:30 a.m. the next day? People are so helpful on Orcas Island and so easygoing, especially our artists, that potential challenges that might occur in a big city did not happen for us. Really it was a lot of small challenges that we met daily in addition to trying to make time to complete the book while working on our paid work. And, we absolutely would not have taken the project on without an LTAC grant. LTAC grants are awarded for projects that highlight the best of the San Juans, and they make a lot of great things happen on our Islands. 

Favorite spreads?

Impossible to choose. Our writers did a great job of really focusing on meaningful themes and messages in creative ways. We are excited to be the first publication to cover the Orcas Island Ladies Hunting Club, aka The Huntress Guild. The photos by filmmaker Kyle Carver and Ilias Schneider were stunning. We also love the simple snapshots of people in town. On the website, we’re going to add more of their personal stories. We had little space in the book, but the backstories of many of the people were too powerful to not use somewhere.

How did you choose which island artists to highlight?

That was a challenge until the writing started to come in, and a theme started to take shape. Initially, we had our eyes on a long list of artists, e.g., Carl Buttke, Kandis Susol, Susan Mustard, Susan Singleton, Anthony Howe, Pamela Ensign. But the theme became very much about the power of place, and a color palette arose, too. Then we really had to edit for flow while simultaneously focusing on artist stories that complemented the theme and other images and poems.

What are you most proud of?

How we all worked together to create something really powerful and meaningful that captures the best of this island community. We ended up with something that will resonate for generations. And, we did it printing carbon-neutral!

What next?

We’re definitely doing something on the island again in the future. It may be more conceptual, though. In the meantime, we’re recording some audio interviews that people can access on our website. We’re also considering something called Ōde Box. It would contain curated pieces of art, poetry, and other products (e.g. jewelry, ceramics) that are uniquely compelling. We’d also like to catch up on some sleep.

Ōde is 144 pages, full color, printed on premium paper, softcover with flaps. If you are on island, the books are available at Darvill’s Bookstore. Off island, visit odeislove.com.