I agree. Everything appears flat. Nothing stands out to draw me in. For my own personal taste, I like a photo or painting to have a focal point that my eyes naturally go to. It can be very subtle, but it makes the photo interesting. Here my brain just sort of gazes and stays in limbo without locking onto anything.
Now, what could be done to fix this? Probably nothing to the photos as they exist (except perhaps the second), but given those circumstances again, perhaps supplying something of interest in the foreground, or a bird flying by, or an unusual or attractive formation in the clouds, or a unique color pattern, or something inconsistent, etc. Re. the second photo, I don't know what colors were present, but I can imagine a dramatic sky that would attract attention if the right colors were present. It's hard to tell from the photo as is, but, for me, it doesn't work in B&W.
As Terry encourages, keep pushing that boulder! I am going through a dry spell right now and have been out in the field three days of the past five, pushing that boulder, and gotten nothing worth keeping. But I've learned that if I keep pushing that boulder, now and then, with the right mindset, inspiration comes and I am rewarded. 99% perspiration...
