A peacock leaps into the air as it battles a rival over territory on a foggy morning. The brightly coloured bird jumped almost six feet into the air before crashing down on its opponent. The fight was captured by amateur photographer Nilesh Patel, in Dudhwa National Park, India. (Photo by Nilesh Patel/Solent News & Photo Agency/Solent News)

A peacock walks next to the Monastery of the Holy Apostles, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, northern Israel November 30, 2016. About 1 million tourists from abroad visit the Sea of Galilee, also known as Lake Tiberias or Kinneret, each year, according to the Israeli Tourism Ministry. (Photo by Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

A juvenile specimen of the recently-discovered Australian Peacock spider, Maratus Albus, sits on the nib of a pencil in this undated picture taken in Western Australia's Nuytsland Nature Reserve. (Photo by Jurgen Otto/Reuters)

A Chinkara gazelle fawn rests in the plumage of a peacock at an animal rescue center on a hot summer day in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (Photo by Dinesh Gupta/AP Photo)

Michael O’Neill won a prize in animal portraits with fry of a peacock bass hovering around their mother for protection against predators in South Florida. (Photo by Michael Patrick O'Neill/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year)

Taiwanese-American performer Nymphia Wind arrives for the 76th annual Emmy Awards ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 15 September 2024. The Emmys celebrate excellence in national primetime television programming. (Photo by Allison Dinner/EPA/EFE)

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.