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This mural has many unusual characters from the world of the arts.  Artists often live lives a bit out of the box.  Some of the people here are archetypal, some drawn from people in my life, but with my crowd I tried to tell a story of life, joy, music, sadness and hope.   People who have had pain and difficulty at times can see beyond the day to day to things of deeper significance.

My fiddler looks directly at us challenging us to see more.  The woman with the cigar box guitar looks off into her own collection of thoughts.  The mime, a friend of old, has a half painted face, hiding part of his identity, as well as holds a full mask he has removed.  The man holding the woman supports her with the care he gives the bird as well.  The pregnant woman is bringing a life into the world, juggling the spheres of energy, keeping it all going.

There is caring here, and friendship and pain, but they are one troupe together.

As the phoenix emerges from the ashes, so can man after devastation and loss.

Artists Chris Cart and Jen Greta Cart painted this incredible Phoenix Rising mural for the Travis Mills Foundation that depicts prosthetic wings, symbolizing a new beginning for our recalibrated veterans.

Created in the summer and fall of 2021, this 10 x 10 foot mural is a permanent addition to the grounds of the Travis Mills Foundation Retreat in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine.

Chris has been painting murals for over a decade. The large murals can be seen across Maine from the Capital Judicial Center in State capital to locations in Bath, Brunswick and Hallowell. He has two large murals in the greater Washington D.C. area and another across the country in the other Washington, in Seattle.

Jen Greta has worked with Chris on most of his murals. For her own paintings she usually works smaller, which can be seen at: JenGretaCart.com. Jumping into the mural realm in her own right, she is currently designing and painting a 1400 square foot mural, Many Stitches Hold up the Sky, for the City of Brunswick, Maine and Chris is bringing his mural expertise as her assistant for this project.

The Travis Mills Foundation Veterans Retreat is located on the former Elizabeth Arden Estate in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. Travis and his wife Kelsey purchased the property in 2015 to create a retreat for our recalibrated veterans and their families. Today the facilities offers a wide range of activities on the grounds, from hiking, canoeing and golfing, ice fishing and snowshoeing, cooking and massage therapy to an extensive ropes course.

Though they may be battered, they are not broken.

Travis Mills Foundation Mission
The Travis Mills Foundation supports recalibrated veterans and their families through various programs that help these heroic men and women overcome physical and emotional obstacles, strengthen their families, and provide well-deserved rest and relaxation.

We support these veterans through our nationally recognized retreat located in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. Veteran families who have been injured in active duty or as a result of their service to our nation receive an all-inclusive, all-expenses-paid, barrier-free experience in Maine where they participate in adaptive activities, bond with other veteran families, and enjoy much-needed rest and relaxation in Maine’s outdoors.

From the TMF website.

Posing for this permanent addition to Travis Mills Foundation is Taylor Morris, who, along with our founder, SSG Travis Mills, is one of five quadruple amputees to survive their injuries in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

recalibrated veteran
re·cal·i·brate /ˌrēˈkalibrāt/
calibrate (something) again or differently.
vet·er·an /ˈvedərən,ˈvetrən/
a person who has served in the military.

SSG Travis Mills coined the term “recalibrated veteran” after he lost portions of all of his limbs in an IED explosion while serving our in Afghanistan. He was injured and healed; he didn’t want to be called a “wounded warrior” – his wounds had healed. Instead, he referred to himself as recalibrated. He adjusted to his new normal; he recalibrated.