Mike,
I'm not quite sure what you're asking. If the data validation list is
High, Medium, Low, you could use conditional formatting to colour the
cell after one of the items is selected. High could be red, Medium could
be yellow, and Low could be green.
However, three is the maximum number of conditions for conditional
formatting. So, if your list has more than three items, you'd need a
different method of automatically colouring the cell based on the
selected item. You could use an event procedure to apply a colour
programmatically.
Debra