A woman shouts slogans as she marches to Congress to commemorate International Women's Day in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, March 9, 2020. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko/AP Photo)

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)

A man celebrates the start of the New Year, backdropped by fireworks exploding in the background over Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, January 1, 2022. (Photo by Bruna Prado/AP Photo)

A male sea lion Leo writes the word of tiger in Chinese character at a New Year's attraction to celebrate the Year of the Tiger at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo on Monday, January 3, 2022. The calligraphy attraction by the sea lion will be carried through January 31. (Photo by Yoshio Tsunoda/AFLO/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Genko Stoykov fires a rifle as he and other men prepare for the traditional “Horo” dance on Epiphany Day in the icy winter waters of the Tundzha river on January 6, 2022 in Kalofer, Bulgaria. As part of the tradition, a priest throws a cross in the river and it is believed that the one who retrieves it will be healthy throughout the year. Today, cultures throughout Christendom mark the Feast of the Epiphany, when Jesus was revealed to the Magi as God incarnate. (Photo by Hristo Rusev/Getty Images)

Sculptured figures titled “Huck and Jim” is on display at a press preview at The Met Fifth Avenue in New York City on Monday, January 24, 2022. (Photo by John Angelillo/UPI/Alamy Live News)

Local residents walk past tiger paintings, that marks the upcoming Lunar New Year of the tiger, in front of a department store in Taipei on January 27, 2022. (Photo by Sam Yeh/AFP Photo)