color is white in autoformat

[timewatcher]

When using autoformat for clip art shapes the color is white sometimes
in the format autoshapes window. I can change colors for the shape,
but it does not display the color I pick in the window, yet it changes
the color of the shape in the document. Then later on, the colors in
the color box show up. I believe it is a key stroke that is changing
this but cannot figure out what I am doing to turn color off and on in
the format window.
Thanks for your help!