Thanks for the input. y es, i am liking the top photo for the front ( I made the first image clickable for full size so you can see the branches better). My thoughts are to make the 'large' trunk in the center the main trunk with the canopy centered over it (or maybe slightly to the left), with one of the low branches on the left extending out keeping the flow of the tree basically to the left... basically a windswept style. something like this (but to the left):
I agree, the existing branches have no taper, and basically no movement. I am completely unskilled at wiring, and I'm not about to 'learn' on this tree. so, for now it will have to be done with the 'prune and grow' technique. It will be slow going as you mentioned. That's why I'm wondering if I can encourage the new branches by cutting back some of the original long straight branches.
My other issues you also metioned: "all that root space". The tree is still in its nursery container with its nursery soil. I did not get a chance to replant or root prune it before the weather turned hot. its now averaging 95f here with 115f days (thankfully those are not too common). So, the tree is already root heavy. I don't want root dieback/rot.
My gut is telling me to leave it and let the tree recover from its initial pruning. Then repot/root prune next year and trim back the old growth to balance above and below...
Yes, do the root work when trees are normally planted in your area. Autumn or early Spring. Let it adjust a few years in a training pot with good bonsai soil to encourage smaller root divisions. Sounds like you know what you are doing with that part.