Frances Fowler leads the Bowie VFD Marching Thoroughbreds in the Bowie 4th of July Parade in Bowie, Md., on July 4, 1976. (Photo by James M. Thresher/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

A police officer removes a reveler from standing on a post as they guard and clear the street of revelers dressed in holiday themed costumes during SantaCon in New York Saturday, December 12, 2015. As thousands of Santa-suited merrymakers prepare to hit the city's streets and bars, organizers of the annual pub crawl say they're taking more steps than ever to deter naughty behavior. (Photo by Andres Kudacki/AP Photo)

Gina Labianca (L) tries on a super woman outfit as Charlie Lucas tries a snow white Costume at the Halloween MegaStore Miami Beach on October 21, 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida. The megastore is a temporary location for the store which opened for the holiday to sell costumes, masks and other items to people needing to dress up for the evening of October 31 when costumed people around the world observe the day. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Australia's Genevieve Gregson gets injured during the women's 3000m steeplechase final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 4, 2021. (Photo by Andrew Boyers/Reuters)

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 team from Woody's Ice Cream shop wrangle a large inflatable dinosaur down the street during the Independence Day Parade in Fairfax, Virginia July 4, 2015. Americans marched in star-spangled parades, ran relay races, gathered for fireworks shows and crowned a new world hot dog eating champion as they celebrated Independence Day in traditional style on Saturday. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

An member of the group “Pause the System” wears a face mask as she protests in front of the entrance to Downing Street in London, Friday, March 20, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (Photo by Frank Augstein/AP Photo)

Two biplanes of the Team Breitling cross during a training flight prior the AIR14 air show in Payerne, Switzerland, August 29, 2014. (Photo by Peter Schneider/EPA)