Liv “Leev” Rainey-Smith
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livraineysmith.bsky.social
Liv “Leev” Rainey-Smith
@livraineysmith.bsky.social
2.5K followers 660 following 3.9K posts
2025 World Fantasy Award Best Artist
Woodcut printmaker at www.xylographilia.com
https://xylographilia.etsy.com
#woodcut #art
Skeleton in a flesh suit. Carnivorous plant enthusiast. Enjoyer of weird fiction and horror.
She/her
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livraineysmith.bsky.social
Fox
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 22 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking #bestiary #fox
Black ink woodcut on cream colored paper. A simple black outline frames a scene of a fox amongst ferns. A bit of grape vine including grapes lays on the ground beneath the fox's tail.
November 24, 2025 at 12:44 AM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Dragon
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 11 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking #bestiary #dragon
Black ink woodcut print on cream colored paper. A simple black frame surrounds a background of chipped wood surrounding a medieval-ish dragon. The dragon has two chunky reptilian feet, a medium long snout, large ribbed ear, short horn, and bat-like wings. It is covered in scales and has it's pointed tongue hanging out, pointing upwards to a black star with rays beaming down from it. The dragon's tail alos ends in a triangle pointed to the star.
November 22, 2025 at 9:34 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Fly
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 33 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking
Black ink woodcut print on cream colored paper. A crowned fly hovers over a maggot atop a dung heap, seeming to caress it with a hind leg. Is this the Lord of the flies, Beelzebub? If so, they're actually kinda cute
November 21, 2025 at 8:46 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Dove
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
Never editioned. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking
A black ink woodcut print on cream colored paper. On a square chipped background lays a dead dove, wings spread, hed tipped to one side. A black droplet hovers over the dove's breast.
November 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Collectio Arcanorum
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 5 hand-tinted prints, signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald.

(These are the printers ornaments created for the book, all carved on one block.)
#art #woodcut #printmaking #bestiary
Black ink woodcut print on cream colored paper. Within a simple black frame are 5 objects. From the top moving clockwise are: A blue and white feather, a glass pelican flask, a goose foot, and a unicorn horn with a face carved into the base. The center is a drinking horn with a floral design on it. The drinking horn has its own frame and a chipped wood background.
November 21, 2025 at 4:51 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Cockerel
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 33 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking #bestiary
A black ink woodcut printed on cream colored paper. Within a simple black frame is a scene of a black rooster standing upon a white pillar. A flail hangs on the wall behind it. A scythe leans against the wall with a droplet about to fall off the tip over the cock.
November 21, 2025 at 3:06 AM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Centaur
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
Never editioned. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking #bestiary #centaur #saggitarius
A black ink woodcut print on cream colored paper. A centaur rears up on its hind legs, pointing a bow and arrow off to the right. The human anatomy is terrible, the equine anatomy is probably better. The carving of the horsehair is certainly satisfying.
November 20, 2025 at 10:06 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Cat
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
Never editioned. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking #bestiary #cats #familiars
Black ink rectangular print on cream colored paper. Within a simple black border is a domestic scene of two cats on a table with a mortar and pestle, candle, book, and implements hanging on the wall above them. The cat on the left is seated, gazing at the viewer, the cat on the right is in a loaf-like position on the book. The objects on the wall include an amphora jug, flail, scythe, hand talisman, rooster's foot, and a bundle of dried plants.
November 20, 2025 at 9:17 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Bear
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 22 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking
A black ink woodcut print on cream colored paper. The slender vertical rectangle contains 3 subjects. At the top, a cave bear skull with a black halo. In the middle, a leaping salmon. At the bottom, a bear's paw reaching upward from a floral device made of mullein. Within the black pad of a bear's paw can be seen a hibernating bear.
November 20, 2025 at 6:51 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Bull
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 33 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking
A black ink woodcut on cream colored paper. A Minotaur, or bull-headed man appears from smoke rising out of a black triangle. It holds a spear in one hand and beckons with its other. It doesn't look friendly. This one is for the goetic magicians.
November 19, 2025 at 9:45 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Basilisk
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
Never editioned. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking #bestiary
A black ink woodcut on cream colored paper. A 6 legged reptile with a scorpion tail and the head of a rooster walks through the desert. It is emitting a cloud from its mouth and the vegetation behind it is withered. A bird flies away from it while one behind it plummets from the sky, another lies dead on the ground.
November 19, 2025 at 8:27 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Boar
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 33 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking
Square black ink woodcut on cream colored paper. A furry boar fills most of the frame, with a small tree in the background on the horizon, plus oak leaves and acorns around the boar's feet. This little piggy isn't going to market without a fight.
November 19, 2025 at 8:24 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Black Shuck
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
Never editioned. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking
A black ink woodcut on cream colored paper. A spectral black dog stands before a pair of old headstones with an hourglass next to it. The sand has nearly emptied into the lower portion of the glass. Behind the stones a noose hangs from a tree that looks like a screaming person. the background consists of curved lines swirling outwards from the noose. The moon in the upper left is mostly black with just a sliver of light.
November 19, 2025 at 4:36 AM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Bee
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 33 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking
Black ink woodcut print on cream colored paper. A giant bee perches on a wax figurine of a woman. In the lower left is a section of 3 honeycomb chambers. The background is chipped wood.
November 19, 2025 at 3:05 AM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Bat
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 33 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking
Black ink woodcut print on cream colored paper. A giant bat hangs from a gibbet with a black crescent moon in the sky. Beneath the bat is a mandrake plant, with a cutaway of the underground showing the roots shaped like a person with a broomstick between the legs.
November 19, 2025 at 1:48 AM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Ass
Liv Rainey-Smith
Woodcut print
LE of 33 signed and numbered. Part of the ARCANUM BESTIARUM by Robert Fitzgerald. #art #woodcut #printmaking
Black ink woodcut print on cream colored paper. Within a simple black border is a donkey carrying a crown upon its back, while wearing a collar from which hangs a key, It is walking on the edge of a cliff with a fanciful mulberry tree growing above it.
November 19, 2025 at 1:23 AM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
I do some bookbinding for fun, but haven't done a whole grimoire on my own. ARCANUM BESTIARUM from Three Hands Press covers different magical traditions around animals. They had calligrapher Gail Coppock create a font based on my style, so it's a lovely book.
Photo of an open book with a page titled Bat in calligraphy, the first letter of the text beneath is a large red A. The art on the righthand side depicts a bat hanging from a gibbet with a mandrake root growing beneath. The art is cutaway style so you can see the root underground has a broomstick between its leg-like roots. A bookmark with the same art on it rests between the pages.
November 19, 2025 at 1:03 AM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
I am not a reporter on a deadline.
Photo of a sign in a parking lot with woods behind it. The sign reads, Reserved 24 hours. For Think Out Loud Guests 10am-2pm Monday-Friday. For Reporters on deadline all other times. OPB.
November 14, 2025 at 7:32 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
I have returned to my beloved Portland!
Photo of a wooden frog with hinged limbs sitting on a shelf in front of a Grateful Dead video disc cover.
November 11, 2025 at 2:32 AM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Visited the Tower of London today and was particularly impressed by The Tower Remembers, an installation by Tom Piper of ceramic poppies by Paul Cummins. I feel fortunate we happened to visit before it is taken down.
Photo of ceramic poppies installed in the Traitor’s Gate at the Tower of London. The flowers appear to be flowing through the water and spilling through the gate. Photo looking up at the White Tower, a partial stone wall blocks the view somewhat, with red ceramic poppies growing in front of it. In the background the poppies are clustered high on the tower and spilling down in a heart-like shape. The poppies also rise up thickly from the ground as if reaching for those above. View looking downwards at the partial wall, with the White tower to the left. From here the poppies look almost natural, as if flowing down from the raised base of the tower. A different view of the White Tower with a mass of poppies bursting upwards as if a bomb has just dropped down from the sky.
November 7, 2025 at 10:15 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
I have seen things.
Photo of a pale skinned woman’s wrist with two paper entry wristbands. One for Stonehenge, the other for Windsor Castle.
November 6, 2025 at 6:04 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
I am really pleased they had an entire case of Gail Ann Dorsey materials, she’s an absolute powerhouse.
Photo of two mannequins displaying costumes Gail Ann Dorsey wore, including the minotaur costume designed by David Bowie. Closer to the camera is a long bright colored patchwork frock coat. Sideview of the same costumes, the minotaur outfit has a horse’s tail. A photo from the Dead Man Walking video, with Dorsey in the minotaur costume, is visible behind them.
November 5, 2025 at 5:13 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
Mom and I visited the David Bowie Center at V&A East Storehouse today. It was marvelous as expected. Little disappointed the 50th Birthday frock coat wasn’t on display — we were on the floor for that concert.
Photo of a case containing objects from the Bowie archive, with the most eye-catching object being the Union Jack coat by Alexander McQueen. This jacket was worn by Bowie on the cover of his Earthling album. Also visible are instruments, photos, and a self portrait. Photo looking up at a case of objects in the Bowie Archive, at the top is a padded backpiece with a pair of metal wings mounted on it. In a photo beneath, is David Bowie in a silver suit with the wings stretched open behind him. Also visible are photos from the Lets Dance music video shoot, and the Glass Spider tour stage. The wings were part of that tour. Photo of a case containing a knitted Ziggy Stardust costume and photos of performances of that era. Photo of a creased snd torn sheet of paper with the handwritten lyrics of David Bowie’s “Win” from the Young Americans album.
November 5, 2025 at 5:04 PM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
I don’t always photograph my food, but this steak and ale pue was very cute in addition to being delicious.
A cylindrical shortcrust pie on a pile of mashed potatoes, a little cow cutout is baked on top of the crust. A handled cup holds gravy behind it, next to a small cup of mushy peas.
November 4, 2025 at 10:30 AM
livraineysmith.bsky.social
I won the World Fantasy Award for Best Artist. I am gobsmacked and so grateful. #wfc2025 #artist #woodcut #printmaker
Photo of a hand holding the World Fantasy Award trophy with a large convention hall in the background. The plaque reads World Fantasy Award 2025 for best artist Liv Rainey-Smith.
November 2, 2025 at 4:56 PM