Even as a child, Reinhard was intensively exposed to the diverse world of art. He grew up in an environment shaped by art. He was not only influenced by his father and his great-aunt, the famous painter Helene Funke, but was also influenced by his mother, who taught fine arts in a high school. His Aunt Inge Kula (nee Funke), made a name for herself as a painter and his brother Herwig, is a member of the Kremser Circle of Artists. The family moved from the original family homestead in Burgwerben (Saxony) to Austria in 1855 to devote themselves to the art of “Blaudruck” (a resist-dye technique characterized by a white pattern on an indigo blue background.)

Reinhard’s great-grandfather, Ferdinand Wilhelm von Funke, became a blaudruck manufacturer in St. Peter, near Linz, Austria. Through his father, Mr. Erich Funke, a graduate graphic artist, Reinhard learned the diversity of modern historical and abstract art through numerous trips to Italy, France and Germany. Reinhard began to work as an artist himself at the age of 16. He experimented with a pictorial technique using colored epoxy resins. He also created art using the enamel technique. He was then introduced to the art of casting with polyester resins by Professor Freilinger.

After starting a family and creating his own company, the opportunity to work creatively always remained a wish. A new challenge began for him when he bought a studio in California. Since 2016 he has been working intensely on abstract painting. The acquisition of a studio in Rattenberg/Tirol in 2022 created another opportunity for further development.