Denys William Ovenden, born in Uxbridge on April 1st 1922, was one of the most respected and inspirational wildlife artists that this country has produced. Denys learned his trade at Hornsey College of Art, although his studies were interrupted by a five-year period of serving his country in Italy and North Africa during World War II. He subsequently spent his whole life in what his son, Chris, described as ‘joyful chaos’, working as a freelance illustrator based in and around Buckinghamshire, close to his birthplace.