Creative Feather Cutwork

American artist Chris Maynard uses delicate eye surgery tools, miniscule scissors, forceps and sharp scalpels to slice intricate bird-shaped patterns into feathers. Chris Maynard, a resident of Olympia in Washington, USA, made his first feather artwork two years ago in 2011. Since then the 58 year old artist has created 80 pieces which can take up to several days at a time, before mounting them onto frames known as shadowboxes. These stunning works sell between $800 to $2000 a piece.

”The best way to see feathers is on birds,” says Chris Maynard. “But an image of a single feather gives a different perspective of the bird's form, beauty, and function. Nature creates here. I just provide design and the right lighting.”

“Because most birds lose (molt) and renew their feathers about once a year, single feathers are easy to use and photograph without harming the bird. Most pictures here are of molted feathers. Many of these photographed feathers were borrowed from museums, zoos, and private aviaries.”