Attila

In discussing this concept, I think is worth mentioning that an important quatity of W/S is it's spontaneous nature.

The small irregularity in the glaze of a pot, or the edges of an antique table rounded and polished from consant usage, the fallen leaf on the moss at the base of the tree, or the broken branch of an old cherry tree, all happened spontaneously. It can be hidden in the quality of material we are working with.
So, sometimes all we have to do is to discover the W/S quality, notice it, take away the clutter, and preserve it to be seen by others. We can always strive for it and keep it in the back of our mind when creating a bonsai, but trying too hard to achieve it can have the reverse effect (like trying to be happy too hard).
The good news about this is that there are no specific rules to achieve it. The bad news is that it may take a lot of sensitivity from the viewer to discover it.

(and yes, this IS part of the japanese tradition, not because they invented it, but because it is at the core of the japanese esthetics ---- while in the western culture it may be superficially called "rustic", a term that merely scratches the surface, if not missing the entire point)

As Andy implied it at the beginning of this thread (God bless you), this may be the mystique about the bonsai that should not be taken away. It should remain the "mistery unsolved", forcing the viewer to come back over and over again, craving for more.

Sometimes discussion forums are fun,
Attila