I think it would be best to try and communicate your feelings to him in a graceful way. Use a lot of "I" sentences to express yourself. Sometimes, as much as we wish they'd just get what we need, it's a lot easier in the long run for both of you to spell it out simply. I went through a phase like that with my husband who can be very stingy with compliments. We had a very candid talk which was painful at the time, but now I'm so glad we went through that. All the best!