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.

Originally hailing from a small town in Iowa, Adonna Khare was this year’s recipient of the Art Prize 2012 for her amazingly detailed large-scale pencil on paper works. All of Khare’s work evolve naturally without much pre-planning, essentially building her pieces as she continues to work.

“The power of nature”. Magma, ash and gas erupt from Mount Etna in December 2015, rising to a height of several kilometres. Winner: Nature. (Photo by Giuseppe Mario Famiani/SIPA Contest)

People play with toy guns outside a bar at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China on December 11, 2020. (Photo by Aly Song/Reuters)

Blossoms and dust are blown by the wind as Jasmin Ricks, left, and her sister, Jessica Ricks, center, take in the cherry blossoms near the Tidal Basin in Washington on April 12, 2018. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Shaolin martial arts students perform Kung Fu suspended on wires in a rehearsal for a live-action night show in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China on April 28, 2018. (Photo by Reuters/China Stringer Network)

A model presents a creation during the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City, New York, U.S., November 8, 2018. (Photo by Mike Segar/Reuters)

Scarlett Zelaya, 10, of Woodbridge, VA cools off under a water mister while visiting the Smithsonian National Zoological Park on Wednesday July 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post)