As far as I can tell, the deaf don’t have a specific saint. Other saints, such as Francis de Sales, do double duty, with deafness secondary to journalism. The Baptist, apparently, is considered a patron of the deaf because, when he lost his head, he stopped hearing. Everyone who dies loses their hearing, so it seems like a gratuitous association.
However, who doesn’t want to paint the Beheading of John? Pretty much everyone throughout history has done so. It’s an evocative scene. He may not be the best representative of my ear troubles, but I couldn’t resist. Besides, his hearing (his head) was forcibly taken from him. Those of us with diminished capacity can find compassion and understanding when praying for his intercession.
This portrait isn’t finished, but those are my rules for Lenten painting. Post what you’ve got at the end of the week, refine later.