Skaer was born in Cambridge and studied at the Glasgow School of Art. Much of her work consists of her interacting with, and changing, public spaces. In one piece, she took up a paving stone on Glasgow's Buchanan Street and then had the Earl of Glasgow ceremoniously lay down a replacement, while in an Amsterdam-based piece, she left a diamond and a scorpion side-by-side on a pavement. She has also secretely hidden moth and butterfly pupae in criminal courts in the hope that they will hatch in mid-trial.
Skaer has also exhibited drawings and is a member of the Henry VIII's Wives collective of artists.
In 2003, Skaer was shortlisted for the Beck's Futures prize. She currently lives and works in Glasgow.