They both fit the themes very well, Lindsay. I prefer the straight first shot for Rough as it's very clear what your subject is and we know how they feel, and B&W is a good choice for it. The second one just looks a bit OOF to me, sorry, although I agree it's always good to try new techniques.
For Object, that's a good subject with lovely warm colours in the wood, and the background complements it well. The placement is unusual but does work well, and the only improvement would be the suggestions above to include some smoke curling up into the negative space. Well done for keeping up when you're under pressure at work, too.