Whitehead is predominantly a landscape painter, although he also produces figure compositions.
In particular, Whitehead's art is influenced by the landscape traditions of northern European romantics, such as Caspar David Friedrich, and the realism of the Biedermeier realist painters.
He has twice won the Wales Open and has also been a prizewinner in Manchester Academy and Hunting Art Prizes exhibitions.
His paintings are held in the permanent collection of the Contemporary Art Society of Wales.
Whitehead is the subject of a book by the art critic Michael Paraskos published in 2008.