It's been quite a year!

As 2009 rolls to a close and we prepare for a new year of public art, we thought it would be fun to pick out some photos that tickled our fancy over the past year.

These masterpieces draw from both our own artists as well as random passersby who couldn't resist the urge to pick up a piece of chalk and join in on the fun.

Although all of them are chalk drawings -- and this collection offers a wide selection of the kinds of things we create -- we have some new tricks up our sleeves for 2010 that will see the spirit of Urban Canvas in several new types of media, and in exciting new locations. Stay tuned!

Move over, Boston Marathon! There's a new race in town...

Shadow outline of a tree. Note how much the sun moved since we started.

Abstract chalk can be pretty funkily awesome.

More shadow art, this time in humanoid form.

We drew an empty aquarium and passersby added their own creatures.

There was an arrow already on the ground, so we just had to warn people.

Some German passersby stopped by and created this peace message.

Sometimes we use existing infrastructure in our chalkings, like this Lady With a Fan made out of drainage grates.