Macnamara’s compositions show the influence of her surroundings and reference the museum’s formal vitrines with their grids of insects inside. For accurate rendering, Macnamara often uses a microscope to view small insects and body sections. This close scrutiny illuminates artistic principles -- observing nature "teaches" her how to make art and, in turn, the artistic process reflects many basic scientific truths of nature.

Macnamara is currently Artist-in-Residence and an Associate of the Zoology Department at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, and an Adjunct Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.