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.

The 37-year-old French artist Anne-Catherine Becker Echivard’s latest artworks were inspired by the silent movies of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton; she uses real-life smelly fish heads as her models for some photos that depict everyday life to address topics.

A devotee of the Chinese Jui Tui shrine takes with his mouth pierced with spikes takes part in a procession celebrating the annual vegetarian festival in Phuket, Thailand October 7, 2016. (Photo by Jorge Silva/Reuters)

Miranda Kerr going back to her hotel during Paris fashion week Paris,France on October 04th 2016. (Photo by KCS Presse/Splash News and Pictures)

Miss California Jessa Carmack during swimsuit competition at Miss America 2017 pageant, Sunday, September 11, 2016, in Atlantic City, N.J. (Photo by Noah K. Murray/AP Photo)

A model presents a creation by LARHHA during the Code'41 Andalusian Fashion Week at the Amphitheatre of Italica in Seville on March 21, 2021. (Photo by Cristina Quicler/AFP Photo)

Egyptians members of the “Tanoura Dance Troupe” perform during the holy month of Ramadan, at the Ghouri complex, in Islamic Cairo, Egypt, 13 April 2022. (Photo by Khaled Elfiqi/EPA/EFE)

A student works on her skills during an acrobatics class near the pier in Huntington Beach, CA on Monday, August 17, 2020. Instructors at the Orange County Performing Arts Academy decided to bring the class to the beach from Anaheim Hills to beat the heat and give the students an end of the summer treat. (Photo by Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP Photo)