Kyle William Braniff was born within casting distance of the Gulf Coast in Lafayette, Louisiana. The days of the pop cork and crickets were done for the first day his father took him speckled trout fishing out of Freshwater City. It wasn't too long after that fishing trip that he had the opportunity to go to deeper waters.   At the age of twelve, he witnessed his first Blue Marlin catch during a fishing tournament aboard the Rachel Deb out of Pecan Island, Louisiana. He's been hooked ever since that initial tournament. In high school, Kyle excelled in all forms of art work and spent his summers working as a deck hand on the upgraded 54ft Hatteras, The Rachel Deb II. This combination of interests led to his Saltwater Designs in acrylic and metal. As any fishing fanatic, Kyle admired the artwork of Guy Harvey, Al Barnes, John Carroll Doyle etc. Graduating with a BFA in Fine Arts, Kyle studied and began to admire the modern art works of Rauschenberg, Alexander Calder, and other modern artists. These two passions of interest finally came together in his first one man art show in Lafayette. Louisiana.