Niki and one of her assistants, Deb Bunting, are finalizing the individual art stations, which are set up along two long metal tables attached to either side of the bus where the seats used to be. Metal racks overhead hold supplies and string lights for illumination. A rolling Craftsman metal tool cabinet with lots of shallow drawers also provides valuable storage. A heating and cooling system keeps the interior comfortable.

Each workstation contains an 11-by-14-inch canvas set up on an easel. Flower-crowned llamas are the subject — what Niki calls the new unicorn — and canvases have been prepped with a black outline for the young artists to follow. There also are printouts of finished llamas to use as an example.

Acrylic paints are poured out onto paper plates, and brushes are set out along with cups of water. The girls also get their own aprons. At the ready, too, is a big packet of wipes, because accidents do happen.

Niki stands at the back of the bus with her own canvas to give instructions: what brush to use, how to make the paint thinner by adding water, how to mix black and white to make gray paint. Deb stands at the ready to squeeze out more paint or wipe up spills. The girls start out tentatively but soon are happily painting away. Niki encourages their creativity. “It’s better that way, as everyone takes home their own unique piece of art.”

Niki’s background as an artist and a mother of two young children has taught her the importance of patience with her young clients, a skill she honed while giving art lessons at Little Tyke, a chain of child care centers operated by her husband’s family. During one visit, she noted a mobile gymnastics bus as she was loading up her equipment. The search for her own studio on wheels began in earnest. She found the former school bus, customized it inside and out and learned to drive it. “The big side mirrors really help,” she says with a laugh.

Today, private parties for kids have become her bread and butter, and she offers several packages. The Little Masters Artist Series also includes an educational component: Kids hear a short story about a noted painter, followed by a painting session using the painter’s technique. Georges Seurat and pointillism is one example.

Parties for adults also are popular, which is how Deb ended up working with Niki part time. “I’ve taken several of the pet-painting classes and loved them all,” she says.

With adults, there’s a BYOB option that’s popular. Sipping wine with friends and painting a funky portrait of Willie Nelson is a creative option for those looking for something different to do for a happy hour or birthday party.

And the paint-your-pet parties are a draw for animal lovers — Niki got her start as a pet artist.

From making wreath collages out of paper plates to creating paint kits that parents can purchase, Niki is excited about expanding her business. She’s even contemplating a second bus. “We’re only limited by our imagination.”