Best known for his lush, impressionistic landscapes of Brown County, Indiana, Turman also found inspiration in the natural beauty of Colorado and California. Works by the artist were exhibited widely in his lifetime at such prestigious institutions as the Hoosier Salon, the Indiana Art Club, the John Herron Art Institute, and the Swope Art Museum. In 1932, High Lights and Shadows , a painting in the Swope Collection, won the Edward Rector Memorial Award at the Hoosier Salon. Active in numerous art organizations, Turman was a member of the Terre Haute Art Association, the Indiana Artists Club, the Hoosier Salon, the Pen and Brush Club, the American Federation of Artists, the Western Arts Association, the Brown County Gallery Association, and the Hoosier Salon Patrons Association in Chicago. Paintings by William T. Turman may be found in public institutions throughout Indiana, including libraries in Thorntown and Merom, and schools in Columbia City, Jasonville, Terre Haute, and the Turman Township High School in Graysville.
Numerous paintings remain in private collections.