Many people have seen feathers as decorative items before. Today, ostrich, peacock and bird of paradise feathers can be seen in haute couture and in the costumes of indigenous peoples. They can be colorful and spectacular in their own right, but how much more stunning might they be when used as canvases for artists, eager to demonstrate their talent for the unusual? Alaskan-born and -bred artist Julie Thompson is an astounding exponent of this incredible art form.

People watch as an acrobat rides his motorcycle around a circular track at an entertainment park set up outside a shrine in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on June 19, 2013. (Photo by Muhammed Muheisen/Associated Press)

1st prize in the People Observed Portraits Stories category. Carla Kogelman, the Netherlands. The photo shows Hannah and Alena, two sisters living in the rural village of Merkenbrechts, Austria. (Photo by Carla Kogelman/World Press Photo)

A child falls sleep while people take part in the 35th India Day Parade in New York August 16, 2015. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

People watch a competitor riding a homemade vehicle without an engine on a 300-metre-track during the Red Bull Soapbox Race in Amman, Jordan September 4, 2015. (Photo by Muhammad Hamed/Reuters)

People take part in The Color Run in Brussels, Belgium September 6, 2015. The Color Run is a five-kilometre, untimed race, held in cities worldwide, with the aim of promoting healthy living. Participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometre. (Photo by Yves Herman/Reuters)

People dressed as zombies participate in a parade for World Zombie Day 2016 in London's West End, Britain on October 9, 2016. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)

People walk past a New Year fir tree made of toys at a park in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russia January 2, 2017. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)