Grace Cossington Smith was close to her immediate family and retained a deep attachment to her home environment throughout her life. This affection is reflected in her earliest known works including portraits of her mother and of other family members. The family had a penchant for nicknames and playfully referred to themselves as the Smithkins. Among these very early works on paper are images of her brother Gordon as a young boy, including those on a number of Smithkin calendars that she created.