Readers of Business Week probably don't pick up the magazine for the art, but illustrator Daniel Zollinger has created work as intriguing as reports on the latest stock market fiascos.

As one half of Acme Illustrators, Zollinger, who lives in Fort Edward, has been been hired by some of the country's most popular publications, including Playboy, Esquire, The Village Voice and the Chicago Tribune.

A former storyboard artist in Manhattan, Zollinger decided to escape the urban jungle in 2000 and move upstate to Fort Edward.

"At the time I left, you had to be there. I had to choose," Zollinger said.

He thought he was giving up his career in advertising for a pursuit of fine art. But thanks to technology, the illustration work soon followed.

"It was suddenly, boom. I can connect and work anywhere," he said of life as a freelance illustrator.

Zollinger will show his illustrations, along with fine art paintings and other work, in a one-man exhibition starting Saturday at bjsartworks in Glens Falls.

Today Zollinger balances painting with commercial projects. He and his artistic partner, Anthony Freda, met while working at a New York studio.

"It was such a great way to cut your teeth as a professional artist, and we became fast friends," Zollinger said.

Freda lives in Port Jefferson, but the artists remain close. Thanks to advances in computer technology, the partners are able to collaborate on projects despite the distance.

Although Zollinger started his advertising career illustrating with pens, most of the drawing he does now is digital.

He works at a laptop computer at a desk in his home.

The images are built in layers with Adobe Photoshop software. Zollinger has a Wacom tablet and pen that allow him to sketch without the use of ink.

"It's an amazing software that really opened things up for me," he said.

Working on the computer, he can mimic the look of watercolor paints or an aged piece of wood. Texture is important to the art, and Zollinger often finds old objects he scans to add interesting effects to the pieces.

"I pick up a lot of items at flea markets," he said of his found inspiration.

The pieces help him achieve a more authentic look despite.

"I try my best to make it look like traditional media," he said. "We didn't want it to look technical and digital. We wanted it to look warm."

American Illustration and American Photography awarded the artists "best in American illustration" honors in 2007 and 2008.

"That's kind of like the Oscars for illustrators," Zollinger said with a laugh.

Their art also is featured in the book "Drawing Inspiration" by Mike Fleishman.

Zollinger and Freda work back and forth on illustrations, despite the geographic separation. The computer has made it possible for Zollinger to have a career in commercial art by digital commute.

Working from his house also has made it easier for Zollinger to paint. His desk and easel sit next to each other in his home studio.

"I'll sit here and work on an illustration, and then get out of my seat to come over here to get out my palette," he said.

The paintings help the artist stretch his creativity by stepping away from his computer.

Although he originally started working in oil, he now prefers acrylic.

"I like that I can paint heavier. It's quicker, and I can paint whenever I feel like it," he said.

Zollinger's painting, which now gets as much attention as his illustrations, started with images inspired by Renaissance religious art.

The artist, who was born in Glens Falls and grew up in Schenectady, said he still remembers being fascinated as a child by the stained glass windows at St. Joseph's Church in Fort Edward, which he would see while spending time with his mother's family in Saratoga County.

"That's what got me into art as a kid. I was mesmerized by that," he said. "A lot of my work has spiritual and religious overtones."

Along with the transition of artistic materials, Zollinger also started to change his style.

"I started introducing a little abstraction into my work. When you go realistic, it's hard to set yourself apart. I was really going after my own voice," he said.

The paintings depict a world from Zollinger's imagination.

"I draw out of my head. I don't use any references. I find you can get a creative image that way. I learned how to work without photo references from doing storyboards," he said.

In addition to the painting and the commercial work, Zollinger is busy developing

a graphic novel titled "Vigil-8."

A collaboration with his cousin, Patrick Cimo, the comic-like book is currently being released in sections online.

"My cousin writes in his spare time, and since we were kids, we wanted to do a graphic novel together," Zollinger said.

Much like his commercial illustrations, the gritty biker tale is a digital creation. The dark comic panels show yet another side of his creativity.

Although his work has moved away from the feeling of traditional paintings of the Middle Ages, Zollinger remains a Renaissance man.

"I'm used to doing a little bit of everything," he said.