Barney Walker | Illustrator and Designer
Nature spent millions of years creating the masterpieces we call fish. That’s where I come in.
What’s with the “OneKickDuck” name?
The name comes from observing a duck walking along the path near the local stream. It tripped over something and stumbled. The duck stopped, looked down, then kicked a pebble in general annoyance.
It was comical and stuck with me – something unexpected from something you wouldn’t expect it from. Literally, a one-kick duck.
My story
- I learned from an early age that fish intrigue me.
- My first memory of them was at age 6, "borrowing" the classroom goldfish in cupped hands to show the family at home.
- I learned Mrs. Habersham could run surprisingly fast for a teacher of her age.
Evolving over the years
- I kept many aquaria including a saltwater ecosystem with live, sustainable corals.
- I studied zoology, genetics, and molecular biology at university.
- I volunteered my fish knowledge and skill to a local, public aquarium.
The ‘Aha’ moment
Freedom of the deep: In the ocean, anything is possible, far from the constraints of life on land.
Fish meets light: I’m inspired to imagine and illustrate new “species” that combine deep-sea wonder with a humorous twist.
Living sculptures: My creations also morph off the paper into 3D forms, using copper and recycled materials to mimic bioluminescence.
It’s not all about fish illustrations…
I’ve created a huge range of Spot the Difference puzzles, sculptures, editorial cartoons and written several novels.
The Southern Pacific collection features 54 fish based on famous New Zealand icons such as the tui, pavlova, Ohakune carrot, and more.
The Tasman Sea collection features 50 “remixed” Australian icons, including Uluru, Vegemite, the surfboard, crusty meat pie – even the koala.
Another mini-collection of cosmetic-related fish make up the Sea of Cosmetica, featuring lipstick fish, mascara and an eye shadow palette.
… and there’re even more genuine odd-balls such as a croissant crab, a goldfish-bowlfish – and even not-fish-related things!
