William Selwyn was born in Caernarfon in 1933. In 1954, after two years completing National Service in the Royal Artillery, he studied at Bangor Normal College until 1956. He subsequently taught at Maesincla Junior School and at Syr Hugh Owen School until his retirement in 1990.
His art is centred on the landscape of Gwynedd, its farm workers and fishermen. He is a member of the Royal Cambrian Academy, a winner of the Singer and Friedlander/Sunday Times 11th Watercolour Competition Exhibition in 1998 with his watercolour of Llanberis Pass. Welsh Artist of the Year in 2001 and winner of Spirit of Llŷn 2003.William Selwyn's work has been purchased by Gwynedd Council and Anglesey County Council, by the University of Bangor, the Arts council of Wales, the National Library of Wales, the University of Bath and is to be found in many private collections at home and abroad.
He has exhibited widely, at the royal Cambrian Academy, the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales, the Royal West of England Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Tegfryn Art Gallery, Menai Bridge, the Albany Gallery, Cardiff, Tibb Lane Gallery, Manchester, Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw, Llanbedrog, John Davies Gallery, Stow-on-the Wold, Electric Mountain, Llanberis, Oriel Arfon, Caernarfon and Thackeray Gallery, London.