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.

A pigeon, known as Siyah Kinifirli, with an approximate market value of 1000 Turkish Lira ($263), bred by 23-year-old Ismail Ozbek, is pictured in Sanliurfa, Turkey, December 23, 2016. As night-time approaches in Sanliurfa, southeastern Turkey, most of the alleyways of the city's old bazaar are emptying out of buyers and vendors, except for one. (Photo by Umit Bektas/Reuters)

Fighters Feather “The Hammer” Hadden (L) and Allie “Babydoll” Parks compete during “Lingerie Fighting Championships 21: Naughty 'n Nice” at the Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino on June 18, 2016 in Nice, California. Hadden won the bout. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for LFC)

Undated handout photo of Buckbeak, a Hippogriff that lived with Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter series, has his feathers preened and replenished by featherologist Val Jones, as he will feature in the the Feathers and Flight event at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. This is the first make-over Buckbeak has received since the hugely popular Harry Potter film series was made. His intricate coat is created from thousands of individually airbrushed chicken and goose feathers that Val will carefully clean and replenish in time for the start of Feathers and Flight. Val will lead an expert team to demonstrate the techniques that made winged wonders such as Buckbeak and Fawkes the Phoenix a reality on screen. (Photo by Tim Anderson/PA Wire)

Francisco Solano poses for a photo in his bird-feather suit after attending a Mass commemorating the feast day of St. Francis Solano, in Emboscada, Paraguay, Friday, July 24, 2015. Some 500 people attended the festivity – a mix of indigenous and Guarani Indian beliefs. The festival begins with a Mass, continues with a procession of the diminutive wooden statue of St. Francis, and ends with people dancing in suits made with black, white, brown and grey feathers. (Photo by Jorge Saenz/AP Photo)

Drag Queens set a Guinness World Record for the longest feather boa at 1.2 miles, along 42 St, in Times Square in New York, U.S., June 20, 2019. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

A delegate from the indigenous Maasai community blows a horn and wears an ostrich feathers headgear as he arrives for the Africa Climate Summit (ACS) 2023 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya on September 6, 2023. (Photo by Monicah Mwangi/Reuters)

A golden pheasant is seen at Hangzhou Safari Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, November 13, 2016. According to local media, the pheasant gains popularity as its golden feathers resemble the hairstyle of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)