His works on paper are mainly inspired by the 1930s (art-deco, in particular), but also by a taste for Asian art and by his own experience and many travels over the years.

Through his works, Jean-Marie Tarance conveys an atmosphere he has experienced, or a feeling. For him, "art and life are one", and it is through life that art takes off. He also paints on canvas. His latest series (his largest to date, comprising 70 canvases) is called "l'éveil", after the Buddha's awakening. The series began when he left Paris for the South-West in 2014. It's a retranscription through art of a return to one's roots.

The large formats are painted using special Asian brushes, which dilute the paint more than conventional brushes, giving an impression of softness. To give this poetic abstraction, he engraves a thickness 'from which plant life will spring forth'.

Jean-Marie Tarance often exhibits large canvases outdoors, seeking to provoke a feeling in any passer-by.