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Nice topic Ron (and nice drawings too Carl)!

You are correct as these are indeed points to ponder. I can't wait to see some of the replies. I'm going to be short and sweet and 'ponder' a while more before I come back and add anything else that comes to mind.

In attachment #1 I can agree that the knot hole may be the focus point. I can't agree that there are hard and fast rules to where this point may be but I can agree that there must be one for things to look right. Back to the knot hole - this may be a bad example for discussion as it's too easy. I can't say I like the idea of viewing such a feature dead on either. Sometimes a 'peek' is better than a full on view. I enjoy leaving thing to the imagination.

Say we have a nice tall bunjin tree with a sparse canopy and a slender slightly contorted trunk - where would the focal point be located? I have attached a photo of a tree by Jim Gremel - I love this tree.

In attachment #2 your point is well illustrated (can you draw a nice buttressed nebari "on" some of my trees Carl?) but I fear again it may not be the best way to do so. Perspective was introduced in this sketch along with the concept of visual weight. Closer things always seem to draw the eye in better than distant things. Foreground or background, downstage or upstage as we say in theatre. The lighter non textured trunk is somewhat in the background and the darker textured trunk is in the foreground. Where do you think my eyes went? I understand why this was done for illustration but I think separate examples may have been better.