What's On Third?

In this painting of a churchyard in Edgecomb, Maine, the cast shadow on the old bell held my attention.  It defines the bright light and helps to describe the curves on the bell itself. 

The rule of thirds applies here.  The bell is the obvious focal point, so I placed it on the third.  The secondary shapes of the monuments in the church cemetary were also placed on another third.  The size of the bell tells you the subject of the painting, but the monuments provide balance.  The oblique line out where the cemetary begins is also on the upper third of the paper. 

Although placing things on the thirds is not obligatory in every painting, certainly it should be considered.