Photo by Denise Gregorka
By Denise Gregorka
Jill Rae Vennera of ‘Jill Rae Signs’ & ‘Easels on the Gogh’ has been serving the community with her artistic talents for over 40 years and is still having fun doing it!
The Young Artist
Jill Rae was born and lived in Connecticut until she was about twelve years old when her family moved to Little Falls, where they ran a dairy farm for several years.
As a child, Jill loved to draw. She stated, “My mother tells me that I was born with a crayon in my hand.” Her grandfather was an artist who did woodworking, sculpture, drawing & painting. He taught Jill many things, including the old English style of lettering when she was only eight. She learned it, developed a passion for it, and still loves to use it.
Of course, she loved art class in high school, claiming “Little Falls had a great art department.” At school, she got involved in making yearbook covers and different art projects but also picked up jobs in the community doing various artwork, signs, & lettering for local businesses and fundraisers.
Jill Rae Signs
It was only natural that she would launch her business, Jill Rae Signs, after graduation. She stated, “In the 1980s, there was a need in the Mohawk Valley for a sign maker.” She was also the only woman in the business for a very long time.
She went to HCCC for Travel & Tourism for a time, thinking it might be something she would like to do, but soon realized she was happiest continuing her sign business.
Looking back, Jill recalls, “Everything was hand-painted back then: signs, window lettering, truck lettering, etc. There were no computers. It was very time-consuming, and you had to wait for the paint to dry. Also, when hand painting, if you had a number that had three zeros, every single zero had to look exactly the same next to each other. There was also lead in the paint back then, which made it cover in one stroke. But, because of toxicity, they took the lead out of the paint, and that changed everything. But it’s good that I didn’t have to breathe toxic chemicals.”
In 1986, Jill Rae got her first computer cutter. There was no screen to help her program the computer. It had a small half-inch LED display in which she had to feed in all of the commands. It would only cut out very basic lettering. That machine enabled her to make fast letters, and those three zeros could now be exact. However, even with the new machine, since it only did lettering, she still had to hand paint any graphics that were needed to complete a sign. So there was a time in which it was a combination of computer and hand painting.
Her next cutting machine had a computer screen, but it still lacked the capabilities of making graphics.
She updated her machines as time went on and was grateful for any new options they offered. For the last twenty-five years, her computers have done so much more. Jill stated, ” Now, with today’s computer, everything is fully printed. I can take a photograph and fully print that and blow it up to any size I want. Having said that, it is still work.” Jill was the first person in the Mohawk Valley who was doing computerized work. She said, “It was interesting to watch the old-time painters try to transition into computers, and conversely, the younger guys who were into computers would get some tips from the old-timers on hand painting. It was an interesting time.”
Having been a painter from the beginning, Jill Rae feels that she has an edge in design and also has a greater understanding of how a sign is made from start to finish. “Signs are a combination of artwork and science because when advertising, it has to look nice, be legible, and capture someone’s attention.” She says it is important not to overcomplicate a sign which makes it hard to read and is then useless. Jill Rae remarked, “It has been a great business which has kept me busy around the clock so many times. My kids have worked there, my ex-husband was my partner, and it was a family-type business. It is still going strong. I have had some of my clients for decades.”
Easels on the Gogh
Easels on the Gogh is a full-service mobile painting studio offering painting parties throughout the Mohawk Valley and beyond.
Around eight years ago, Jill decided to go back to school for Art Therapy classes. She stated, “I had a blast…it was so fun! I got straight A’s because life’s experiences do that for you.”
She did sculpture, painting & pottery with many other interesting classes as well.
She says she mostly did it for fun, but then her business side got her thinking …”Hmmm, I could do a ‘Paint & Sip’ because we don’t have any of them here.” They were mostly franchises, and they were just starting to pop up. “I created my own, and because it was a mobile, I would come to you or go wherever an event was taking place.”
She offers event parties, private parties, fundraising, colleges, team building, kids parties, adult parties, and more with the motto “Where friends become artists, and artists become friends.”
The business has really taken off, and loads of people have participated in ‘Paint & Sip.’ Jills states, “We started to have kid’s parties, and I was so happy to see that. It’s something cultural, and kids love to paint!”
She says, “Painting is so rewarding. Some people are intimidated at first until I break it down for them with basic steps. By the time they’re done, they are so thrilled, and I love that feeling!”.
Jill noted, “I do a lot with the elderly & nursing homes, which is great for their motor skills. It’s really beneficial to them, more mentally than anything, that they can do this, and they are proud of it. The art hangs in their room, and it brightens their life up.”
Jill loves her sign & painting businesses and hopes to do both as long as she can.
Cheese Festival
If all of that work isn’t enough, Jill serves on the Little Falls Cheese Festival Committee, using her networking skills and connections to bring in sponsors, along with providing signage for the festival each year. She also has a booth during the Cheese Festival and sells out of her famous, homemade, spreadable Irish Beer Cheese. She sells out so fast every year that her devoted customers go to her booth first thing to ensure they don’t miss out. She states, “I only make cheese for that event because I am so busy with my other two businesses. We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful cheese makers in upstate New York.”
Over the years, Jill Rae has been a part of many local civic organizations. She concluded, “It is important to be involved in the community & social clubs like Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, United Way, etc. You have to give back to the community.” With all of Jill’s businesses, she loves interacting with people. “I talk a lot, and I am friendly. I enjoy people. I really do. Life is fun, and it keeps you young.”
If you would like to schedule an event with Jill or need some signage done, you can reach her at:
You can also call 315-868-6002 or email jillraesigns@hotmail.com.
Denise Gregorka is a longtime Little Falls resident who has a love for the city’s people & history.
She is married to Craig, who is a Little Falls native, retired photographer & former business owner.
Denise has done costume collaboration for Broadway and off-Broadway theatre for 18+ years and has also been an antique/collectibles dealer for over 25 years.
She is not a professional writer but is compelled to hear and share the “background story” from engaging Little Falls residents.
If you’d like to reach out to Denise about a story idea, you can email her at gork4444@gmail.com.
Denise, it was a lovely time interviewing with you in your beautiful, sunny backyard.
Little Falls is a magical community, I’m happy to have gotten my start there and continue to be a part of it. Thank you. That was fun. 🥰
jill Rae
I’ve enjoyed some of Jill’s giftedness over the years of living in Little Falls. It was neat reading about her journey!
Thank you Wanda! You too are a gifted artist and always there for the community. ☺️